Stericycle (SRCL) 10-K 15 Mar 16 2015 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Feb. 19, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Document Documentand Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	STERICYCLE INC
Entity Central Index Key	861,878
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	SRCL
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		84,647,029
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Public Float			$ 11,358,678,595

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 55,634	$ 22,236
Short-term investments	69	380
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $22,329 in 2015 and $19,083 in 2014	614,494	465,473
Prepaid expenses	46,740	30,632
Other current assets	44,891	33,173
Total Current Assets	761,828	551,894
Property, Plant and Equipment, less accumulated depreciation of $426,019 in 2015 and $364,124 in 2014	665,602	460,408
Goodwill	3,758,177	2,418,832
Intangible assets, less accumulated amortization of $151,025 in 2015 and $114,922 in 2014	1,842,561	909,645
Other assets	49,282	32,523
Total Assets	7,077,450	4,373,302
Current Liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	161,409	131,969
Accounts payable	149,202	114,596
Accrued liabilities	197,329	131,743
Deferred revenues	16,989	21,624
Other current liabilities	62,420	60,975
Total Current Liabilities	587,349	460,907
Long-term debt, net of current portion	3,052,639	1,527,246
Deferred income taxes	608,272	403,847
Other liabilities	81,352	64,117
Equity:
Common stock (par value $0.01 per share, 120,000,000 shares authorized, 84,852,584 issued and outstanding in 2015 and 84,883,517 issued and outstanding in 2014)	849	849
Additional paid-in capital	1,143,020	289,211
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(282,631)	(138,419)
Retained earnings	1,868,645	1,743,371
Total Stericycle, Inc.’s Equity	2,729,891	1,895,012
Noncontrolling interest	17,947	22,173
Total Equity	2,747,838	1,917,185
Total Liabilities and Equity	7,077,450	4,373,302
Series A Preferred Stock
Equity:
Preferred stock (par value $0.01 per share, 1,000,000 shares authorized), Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A, 770,000 issued and outstanding in 2015	$ 8	$ 0

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 22,329	$ 19,083
Accumulated depreciation	426,019	364,124
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$ 151,025	$ 114,922
Preferred stock, shares authorized	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	770,000
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	120,000,000	120,000,000
Common stock, issued	84,852,584	84,883,517
Common stock, outstanding	84,852,584	84,883,517
Series A Preferred Stock
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	770,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	770,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCO

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 2,985,908	$ 2,555,601	$ 2,142,807
Costs and Expenses:
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation shown below)	1,658,081	1,404,712	1,128,170
Depreciation - cost of revenues	61,642	56,478	50,003
Selling, general and administrative expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	712,803	489,937	390,610
Depreciation – SG&A	20,272	15,446	11,338
Amortization	45,498	32,692	27,067
Total Costs and Expenses	2,498,296	1,999,265	1,607,188
Income from Operations	487,612	556,336	535,619
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income	224	120	294
Interest expense	(77,498)	(66,142)	(55,243)
Other income/ (expense), net	569	(2,746)	(2,924)
Total Other Expense	(76,705)	(68,768)	(57,873)
Income Before Income Taxes	410,907	487,568	477,746
Income tax expense	142,894	159,422	164,662
Net Income	268,013	328,146	313,084
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	967	1,690	1,712
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	267,046	326,456	311,372
Less: mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend	10,106	0	0
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders	$ 256,940	$ 326,456	$ 311,372
Earnings Per Common Share Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 3.02	$ 3.84	$ 3.62
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.98	$ 3.79	$ 3.56
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding:
Basic (shares)	84,944,841	84,932,792	85,902,550
Diluted (shares)	86,162,609	86,233,612	87,391,988

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 268,013	$ 328,146	$ 313,084
Other Comprehensive Income/ (Loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(140,648)	(82,871)	(19,160)
Amortization of cash flow hedge into income, net of tax ($452, $209 and $200) for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	716	339	314
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, net of tax ($2,623, $813 and $0 for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	(4,119)	(2,069)	0
Total Other Comprehensive Loss	(144,051)	(84,601)	(18,846)
Comprehensive Income	123,962	243,545	294,238
Less: comprehensive loss/ (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,128	(960)	270
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders	$ 122,834	$ 244,505	$ 293,968

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COM6

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Amortization of cash flow hedge into income, tax	$ 452	$ 209	$ 200
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, tax	$ 2,623	$ 813	$ 0

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 268,013	$ 328,146	$ 313,084
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Stock compensation expense	21,750	17,773	17,457
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	(16,897)	(17,906)	(17,153)
Depreciation	81,914	71,924	61,341
Amortization	45,498	32,692	27,067
Deferred income taxes	(10,294)	16,550	30,930
Other, net	7,467	8,932	1,103
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and divestitures:
Accounts receivable	(55,890)	(34,116)	(54,767)
Accounts payable	26,366	(5,712)	7
Accrued liabilities	26,060	21,279	4,547
Deferred revenues	(4,615)	1,017	(1,319)
Other assets and liabilities	956	7,921	23,010
Net cash provided by operating activities	390,328	448,500	405,307
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(2,419,437)	(374,321)	(161,936)
Proceeds from/ (purchases of) investments	294	(1,957)	73
Capital expenditures	(114,761)	(86,496)	(73,109)
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,533,904)	(462,774)	(234,972)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of long-term debt and other obligations	(93,172)	(101,231)	(88,507)
Proceeds from foreign bank debt	53,747	205,086	218,968
Repayments of foreign bank debt	(87,308)	(193,284)	(201,967)
Proceeds from term loan	1,550,000	0	0
Repayment of term loan	(300,000)	0	0
Proceeds from private placement of long-term note	600,000	0	0
Repayments of private placement of long-term note	(100,000)	0	0
Proceeds from senior credit facility	1,907,402	1,413,026	1,029,718
Repayments of senior credit facility	(2,004,385)	(1,216,031)	(984,979)
Payments of capital lease obligations	(3,865)	(5,826)	(4,024)
Payments of deferred financing costs	(9,903)	(2,280)	0
Payment of cash flow hedge	(8,833)	0	0
Purchases and cancellations of treasury stock	(130,576)	(194,066)	(163,700)
Proceeds from issuance of mandatory convertible preferred stock	746,900	0	0
Dividends paid on mandatory convertible preferred stock	(10,106)	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	60,124	51,852	42,345
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	16,897	17,906	17,153
Payments to noncontrolling interests	(5,714)	(5,201)	(1,026)
Net cash provided by/ (used in) financing activities	2,181,208	(30,049)	(136,019)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(4,234)	(608)	(1,809)
Net increase/ (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	33,398	(44,931)	32,507
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	22,236	67,167	34,660
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	55,634	22,236	67,167
NON-CASH ACTIVITIES:
Issuances of obligations for acquisitions	80,189	145,938	100,101
Issuances of obligations for noncontrolling interest	$ 0	$ 0	$ 6,119

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHAN

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Preferred StockSeries A Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Noncontrolling Interest
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012		0	85,988
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 1,557,323	$ 0	$ 860	$ 116,720	$ 1,463,277	$ (39,064)	$ 15,530
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	313,084				311,372		1,712
Currency translation adjustment	(19,160)					(17,718)	(1,442)
Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax	314					314
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases (in shares)			973
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases	48,001		$ 10	$ 47,991
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock (in shares)			(1,461)
Purchase and cancellation of treasury stock	(163,700)		$ (15)		(163,685)
Stock compensation expense	17,457			$ 17,457
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	17,153			17,153
Noncontrolling interests attributable to acquisitions	4,211						4,211
Reduction to noncontrolling interests due to additional ownership	(7,145)			(4,211)			(2,934)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013		0	85,500
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	1,767,538	$ 0	$ 855	195,110	1,610,964	(56,468)	17,077
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	328,146				326,456		1,690
Currency translation adjustment	(82,871)					(80,221)	(2,650)
Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax	(1,730)					(1,730)
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases (in shares)			1,061
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases	58,562		$ 11	$ 58,551
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock (in shares)			(1,677)
Purchase and cancellation of treasury stock	(194,066)		$ (17)		(194,049)
Stock compensation expense	17,773			$ 17,773
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	17,906			17,906
Noncontrolling interests attributable to acquisitions	6,781						6,781
Reduction to noncontrolling interests due to additional ownership	(854)			(129)			(725)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014		0	84,884
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	1,917,185	$ 0	$ 849	289,211	1,743,371	(138,419)	22,173
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	268,013				267,046		967
Currency translation adjustment	(140,648)					(140,809)	161
Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax	(3,403)					(3,403)
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases (in shares)			973
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases	68,640		$ 10	68,630
Issuance of mandatory convertible preferred stock (in shares)		770
Issuance of mandatory convertible preferred stock	746,900	$ 8		$ 746,892
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock (in shares)			(1,004)
Purchase and cancellation of treasury stock	(131,676)		$ (10)		(131,666)
Preferred stock dividend	(10,106)				(10,106)
Stock compensation expense	21,750			$ 21,750
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	16,897			16,897
Reduction to noncontrolling interests due to additional ownership	(5,714)			(360)			(5,354)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015		770	84,853
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,747,838	$ 8	$ 849	$ 1,143,020	$ 1,868,645	$ (282,631)	$ 17,947

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS We were incorporated in 1989 and presently serve a diverse customer base of more than 1,000,000 customers throughout the United States, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom. We lease office space for our corporate offices in Lake Forest, Illinois. Domestically, we own or lease 114 processing facilities, which are primarily autoclaves for medical waste and shredders for secure information destruction. All of our processing facilities also serve as collection sites. We own or lease 218 additional transfer sites, 21 additional sales/administrative sites, and 83 other service facilities. Internationally, we own or lease 139 processing facilities, the majority of which use autoclave waste processing technology. We also own or lease 140 additional transfer sites, 62 additional sales/administrative sites, 54 other service facilities, and 3 landfills. We are a business-to-business services provider with a focus on regulated and compliance solutions for healthcare, retail, and commercial businesses. This includes the collection and processing of regulated and specialized waste for disposal and the collection of personal and confidential information for secure destruction, plus a variety of training, consulting, recall/return, communication, and compliance services. Our solutions for regulated or specialty waste streams include: medical waste disposal, pharmaceutical waste disposal, hazardous waste management, sustainability solutions for expired or unused inventory, and secure information destruction of documents or e-media. Our compliance solutions include: training and consulting through our Steri-Safe ® and Clinical Services programs as well as inbound/outbound communications, data reporting, and other regulatory compliance services. Our regulated recall and returns management solutions consist of communication, logistics, and data management services to support the recall, withdrawal, or return of expired or recalled products. We have 14,170 employees in the United States, of which 419 are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Internationally, we have 11,302 employees, of which approximately 2,703 are covered by collective bargaining agreements, primarily in Latin America.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTI

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stericycle, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Revenue Recognition: Revenues for our regulated medical waste management services, other than our compliances services, and secure information destruction services are recognized at the time of waste collection. Our compliance service revenues are recognized evenly over the contractual service period. Payments received in advance are deferred and recognized as services are provided. Revenues from hazardous waste services are recorded at the time waste is received at our processing facility. Revenues from regulated recall and returns management services and communication solutions are recorded at the time services are performed. Revenues from product sales are recognized at the time the goods are shipped to the ordering customer. Charges related to sales taxes and international value added tax ("VAT") and other similar pass through taxes are not included as revenue. Acquisition Accounting: Acquisition accounting requires us to recognize assets and liabilities at their fair value. The process of determining fair value requires time to complete, therefore we will make some estimates at the time of acquisition. These estimates are primarily for amortizable intangibles and, if appropriate, an associated deferred tax liability. These estimates are based on historical experience and allow us to recognize amortization expense until the final valuation is complete. Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets: Goodwill associated with the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is not amortized, but is subject to an annual impairment test. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, we evaluate on at least an annual basis, using the fair value of reporting units, whether goodwill is impaired. If we were to determine that a significant impairment has occurred, we would be required to incur non-cash charges of the impaired portion of goodwill that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the impairment charge occurs. During the quarter ended June 30, 2015, we performed our annual goodwill impairment evaluation for our three reporting units, Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services, Domestic Regulated Recall and Returns Management Services, and International Regulated and Compliance Services. We calculate the fair value of our reporting units using an income method and validate those results using a market approach. Both the income and market approaches indicated no impairment to goodwill in any of our three reporting units. See Note 11 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about goodwill and the annual impairment test. We have determined that our permits have indefinite lives due to our ability to renew these permits with minimal additional cost, and therefore they are not amortized. We also have a tradename that we have determined has an indefinite life. Our indefinite lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually at December 31, or more frequently, if circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. We use a qualitative assessment, as provided for under the FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other , to determine if is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. If there is an indication of impairment, we test the recoverability of the asset using either a discounted income or cost savings model to calculate fair value. The calculated fair value is based upon, among other things, certain assumptions about expected future operating performance, internal and external processing costs, and an appropriate discount rate determined by management. Our estimates of discounted income may differ from actual income due to, among other things, inaccuracies in economic estimates. See Note 11 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about indefinite lived intangible assets. Our finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives using straight-line method. We have determined that our customer relationships have useful lives from 10 to 40 years based upon the type of customer, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 19.2 years. We have covenants not-to-compete intangibles with useful lives from 5 to 14 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 3.7 years. We have tradename intangibles with useful lives from 15 to 40 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 17.2 years. Other intangibles mainly consist of landfill air rights with a weighted average remaining useful life of 19.1 years. These assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may be less than its undiscounted estimated future cash flows. See Note 11 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about our intangible assets other than goodwill. Valuation of Intangibles: Valuation of our intangible assets other than goodwill is derived using a discounted income and cost savings approach. Financial information such as revenues, costs, assets and liabilities, and other assumptions related to the intangible asset are input into a standard valuation model to determine a stream of income attributable to that intangible. The income stream is then discounted to the present to arrive at a valuation. We perform annual impairment tests on our indefinite lived intangible assets. Our customer relationship valuation model, using the multi-period excess earnings method, assumes straight-line revenue loss. The calculation of determining a revenue loss rate starts with a base-line revenue point and then tracks revenue by customer, assuming no further revenue growth, to a point of zero revenues. A calculation of base-line revenue to zero revenue determines the useful life of customer relationships. Determining an accurate consumption of benefits from acquired customer relationships cannot be reliably determined because the services we provide to acquired customers changes from the base-line revenues over an extended period of time due to factors such as volume increase, price increase, and complementary service offerings. Therefore we amortize our finite-lived intangible assets using the straight-line method consistent with our valuation model. Income Taxes: We are subject to income taxes in both the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. We compute our provision for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. Significant judgments are required in order to determine the realizability of these deferred tax assets. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we evaluate all significant available positive and negative evidence, including historical operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the existence of prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. Changes in the expectations regarding the realization of deferred tax assets could materially impact income tax expense in future periods. Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries are considered permanently reinvested, and therefore no deferred taxes are recorded thereon. To provide for uncertain tax positions, we maintain a reserve for tax benefits assumed that do not meet a threshold of "more likely than not" to be sustained. Management believes the amount provided for uncertain tax positions is adequate. Accounts Receivable: Accounts receivable consist of amounts due to us from our normal business activities and are carried at their estimated collectible amounts. Our accounts receivable balance includes amounts related to VAT and similar international pass-through taxes. We do not require collateral as part of our standard trade credit policy. Accounts receivable balances are determined to be past due when the amount is overdue based on the contractual terms with the customer. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect the expected uncollectability of accounts receivable based on past collection history and specific risks identified among uncollected accounts. Accounts receivable are written off against the allowance for doubtful accounts when we have determined that the receivable will not be collected and/or when the account has been referred to a third party collection agency. No single customer accounts for more than approximately 1.5% of our accounts receivable. Bad debt expense was $13.7 million , $9.9 million and $4.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 , respectively. Stock-Based Compensation: We issue stock options and restricted stock units ("RSU") to employees and directors as an integral part of our compensation programs. Stock options cost is measured at the grant date using the Black-Scholes model and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. Determining the fair value of stock options at the grant date requires estimating the expected volatility of our stock, the expected term of the award, and the risk-free rate. Our stock’s expected volatility and the expected term of the awards are based upon historical experience. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based upon the U.S. Treasury yield rates of a comparable period. The fair value of RSU is based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant and is amortized to expense over the service period. If factors change and we employ different assumptions, stock-based compensation expense may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the past. Litigation: We operate in a highly regulated industry and deal with regulatory inquiries or investigations from time to time that may be instituted for a variety of reasons. We are also involved in a variety of civil litigation from time to time. Liabilities from litigation are accrued when known, probable and estimable. Share Repurchases: Purchase price over par value for share repurchases are allocated to retained earnings. Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments: We consider all highly liquid investments with a maturity of less than three months when purchased to be cash equivalents. Short-term investments consist of certificates of deposit which mature in less than one year. Property, Plant and Equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization, which include the depreciation of assets recorded under capital leases, are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: Building and improvements 5 to 50 years Machinery and equipment 2 to 30 years Containers 2 to 20 years Vehicles 2 to 10 years Office equipment and furniture 2 to 20 years Software 2 to 15 years Our containers have a weighted average remaining useful life of 12.5 years. Environmental Remediation Liabilities: We record a liability for environmental remediation when such liability becomes probable and the costs or damages can be reasonably estimated. We accrue environmental remediation costs, on an undiscounted basis, associated with identified sites where an assessment has indicated that cleanup costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated, but the timing of such payments is not fixed and determinable. Such accruals are based on currently available information, estimated timing of remedial actions, existing technology, and enacted laws and regulations. Insurance: Our insurance for workers’ compensation, vehicle liability and physical damage, and employee-related health care benefits is obtained using high deductible insurance policies. A third-party administrator is used to process all such claims. We require all workers’ compensation, vehicle liability and physical damage claims to be reported within 24 hours. As a result, we accrue our workers’ compensation, vehicle and physical damage liability based upon the claim reserves established by the third-party administrator at the end of each reporting period. Our employee health insurance benefit liability is based on our historical claims experience rate. Our earnings would be impacted to the extent that actual claims vary from historical experience. We review our accruals associated with the exposure to these liabilities for adequacy at the end of each reporting period. Financial Instruments: Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable and payable, derivatives, and long-term debt. At December 31, 2015 , the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated at $3.22 billion , compared to a carrying amount of $3.21 billion . This fair value was estimated using market interest rates for comparable instruments. The Company has no current plans to retire a significant amount of its debt prior to maturity. Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of accounts receivable. Credit risk on trade receivables is minimized as a result of the large size of our customer base. No single customer represents greater than approximately 1.5% of total accounts receivable. We perform ongoing credit evaluation of our customers and maintain allowances for potential credit losses. For any contracts in loss positions, losses are recorded when probable and estimable. These losses, when incurred, have been within the range of our expectations. Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Some areas where we make estimates include allowance for doubtful accounts, credit memo reserve, accrued employee health and welfare benefits, stock compensation expense, income tax liabilities, accrued auto and workers’ compensation insurance claims, and intangible asset valuations. Such estimates are based on historical trends and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from our estimates. Future estimated expenses may fluctuate depending on changes in foreign currency rates. The estimates for payments due on long-term debt, lease payments under capital leases, accrued liabilities, contingent consideration liabilities, intangible assets amortization expense, and rental payments are based upon foreign exchange rates at December 31, 2015 . Foreign Currency Translation: Assets and liabilities of foreign affiliates that use the local currency as their functional currency are translated at the exchange rate on the last day of the accounting period, and income statement accounts are translated at the average rates during the period. Related translation adjustments are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in Stericycle, Inc.'s equity. New Accounting Standards: Accounting Standards Recently Adopted Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity On January 1, 2015, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity," guidance on the presentation and disclosures of reporting discontinued operations. The new guidance defines a discontinued operation as a disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and "represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results." For disposals of individually significant components that do not qualify as discontinued operations, an entity must disclose pre-tax earnings of the disposed component. The Company has not disposed of a component of our entity and therefore the implementation of this guidance did not affect our financial position, results of operations, or disclosure requirements. Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments As of December 31, 2015, we early adopted ASU No. 2015-16, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments," guidance that eliminates the requirement that an acquirer in a business combination account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer will recognize measurement-period adjustments during the period in which it determines the amount of the adjustment. The implementation of this guidance did not materially impact our financial statements. Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes As of December 31, 2015, we early adopted ASU No. 2015-17, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes," guidance that requires companies to classify all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent on the balance sheet instead of separating deferred taxes into current and noncurrent amounts. At December 31, 2014, we have reclassified $28.3 million of current deferred tax assets to noncurrent deferred tax liabilities to conform to the current period balance sheet presentation. Other than the change in balance sheet presentation, there were no other impacts. Accounting in the Cloud As of December 31, 2015, we adopted ASU No. 2015-05, "Intangible - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtotal 350-40): Customer's Accounting Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement," guidance to determine whether customers in a cloud computing arrangement should account for a contract as a software license or as a service contract. The guidance applies only to internal-use software to which a customer obtains access in a hosting arrangement. The standard will be effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. We have evaluated our contracts and determined that our cloud computing arrangements do not include a software license criteria and therefore are properly treated as service contracts. Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted Interest-Imputation of Interest In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, "Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs," guidance that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability rather than as an asset. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the accounting standard update. The standard will be effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The revised standard will be adopted by the Company on January 1, 2016, will be applied retrospectively and will require reclassifications within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and statements of cash flows. The revised standard only affects presentation and therefore will not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations. Revenue From Contracts With Customers In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606), guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue guidance contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The amended authoritative guidance associated with revenue recognition is effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The amended guidance may be applied retrospectively for all periods presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the amended guidance recognized at the date of initial application. We are in the process of assessing the provisions of the new revenue recognition standard and have not determined whether the adoption will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

ACQUISITIONS

ACQUISITIONS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS	ACQUISITIONS The following table summarizes the locations of our acquisitions for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : Acquisition Locations 2015 2014 2013 United States 19 17 13 Argentina — 2 3 Brazil 2 3 2 Canada 2 2 3 Chile — 3 1 Ireland 1 — — Japan — 2 3 Mexico 3 — 1 Netherlands 2 — — Portugal — 5 2 Romania 4 3 6 Republic of Korea 6 1 — Spain 4 3 3 United Kingdom — 3 12 Total 43 44 49 During 2015, we completed 43 acquisitions, of which 19 were domestic and 24 were international. Domestically, we acquired selected assets of eleven regulated waste businesses, 100% of the stock of two regulated waste businesses, selected assets of one communication services business and 100% of the stock of another communication services business. Additionally, we acquired selected assets of four secure information destruction businesses. In Brazil, we acquired 100% of the stock of two regulated waste businesses. In Canada, we acquired 100% of the stock of one communication services and one secure information destruction business. In Ireland, we acquired 100% of the stock of one regulated waste business. In Mexico, we acquired 100% of the stock of two regulated waste businesses and selected assets of another. In the Netherlands, which represents a new market for us, we acquired 100% of the stock of one regulated waste business and selected assets of another. In Romania, we acquired selected assets of three regulated waste businesses and 100% of the stock of another. In the Republic of Korea, we acquired selected assets of six regulated waste businesses. In Spain, we acquired selected assets of four regulated waste businesses. The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase price paid for acquisitions and other adjustments of consideration to be paid for acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Cash $ 2,419,437 $ 374,321 $ 161,936 Promissory notes 64,072 125,229 64,581 Deferred consideration 3,172 3,535 31,149 Contingent consideration 12,945 17,174 4,371 Total purchase price $ 2,499,626 $ 520,259 $ 262,037 For financial reporting purposes, our acquisitions were accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. These acquisitions resulted in the recognition of goodwill in our financial statements reflecting the premium paid to acquire businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing operations and fit our growth strategy. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 , we recognized a net increase in goodwill of $1.42 billion excluding the effect of foreign currency translation (see Note 11 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements). A net increase of $1.13 billion was assigned to our United States reportable segment, and a net increase of $289.1 million was assigned to our International reportable segment. Approximately $528.6 million of the goodwill recognized during the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 will be deductible for income taxes. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 , we recognized a net increase in intangible assets from acquisitions of $1.05 billion , excluding the effect of foreign currency translation. The changes include $599.4 million in the estimated fair value of acquired customer relationships with amortizable lives of 10 to 40 years, $1.4 million in permits with indefinite lives, $423.3 million in tradenames with indefinite lives, and $27.9 million in other intangibles with amortizable lives of 3 to 20 years. The purchase prices for these acquisitions in excess of acquired tangible and identifiable intangible assets have been primarily allocated to goodwill, and are preliminary pending the completion of certain intangible asset valuations and completion accounts. The following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation for current period acquisitions and other adjustments to purchase price allocations during the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Fixed assets $ 198,145 $ 98,916 $ 15,582 Intangibles 1,052,016 276,798 92,398 Goodwill 1,422,673 235,597 179,795 Accounts receivable 135,800 68,019 19,920 Net other assets/ (liabilities) 18,133 (11,702 ) 3,260 Environmental remediation liabilities — (32,383 ) — Current liabilities (91,522 ) (67,334 ) (23,200 ) Debt (4,966 ) (22,102 ) (7,512 ) Net deferred tax liabilities (230,653 ) (18,769 ) (13,995 ) Noncontrolling interests — (6,781 ) (4,211 ) Total purchase price allocation $ 2,499,626 $ 520,259 $ 262,037 During the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 the Company incurred $39.1 million , $13.3 million , and $10.3 million , respectively, of acquisition related expenses. These expenses are included with "Selling, general and administrative expenses" ("SG&A") on our Consolidated Statements of Income. Included in the acquisitions discussed above, is the acquisition of Shred-it International ULC, an Alberta unlimited liability corporation ("SII"), Shredit JV LP, an Ontario limited partnership ("Shred-it JV"), Boost GP Corp., an Ontario corporation ("Boost GP"), and Boost Holdings LP, an Ontario limited partnership (together with SII, Shred-it JV and Boost GP, "Shred-it"). On October 1, 2015, we acquired Shred-it for an aggregate purchase price of $2.3 billion in cash. Shred-it is the global leader in secure information destruction, a highly complementary service to our regulated waste and compliance services and will provide operational synergies stemming from our core competencies in route logistics and lean management systems. The following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation by major asset acquired and liability assumed, as well as the amount of goodwill recognized for Shred-it acquisition and in aggregate for all other 2015 acquisitions: In thousands Shred-it Acquisition Other Acquisitions Total Fixed assets $ 174,250 $ 23,895 $ 198,145 Intangibles 955,000 97,016 1,052,016 Goodwill 1,333,046 89,627 1,422,673 Accounts receivable 117,541 18,259 135,800 Net other assets/ (liabilities) 16,738 1,395 18,133 Current liabilities (72,178 ) (19,344 ) (91,522 ) Debt — (4,966 ) (4,966 ) Net deferred tax liabilities (220,505 ) (10,148 ) (230,653 ) Total purchase price allocation $ 2,303,892 $ 195,734 $ 2,499,626 The amounts in the table above are subject to change upon finalization of asset valuations and completion accounts. We used various techniques to determine fair value: • For fixed assets, we used a Market Approach to make preliminary estimates of fair value. • For customer relationships, we used an Income Approach using the Multi-Period Excess Earnings Method ("MPEEM") to make preliminary estimates of fair value of $534.0 million . • For the Shred-it tradename, we used an Income Approach using the Relief from Royalties method to make preliminary estimates of fair value of $421.0 million . The results of operations of these acquired businesses have been included in the consolidated statements of income from the date of the acquisition. Our revenues for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 from the aggregate acquisitions during 2015 was approximately $258.5 million , of which $177.4 million was from the Shred-it acquisition. Our pro forma earnings include estimates for intangible asset amortization expense but does not include estimated synergies as the timing and realizability of synergies is uncertain. The pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations as they would have been had the acquisitions occurred on the assumed dates. The following consolidated pro forma information on the impact of the 2015 acquisitions to our consolidated revenues and net income is based on the assumption that these acquisitions all occurred on January 1, 2014: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 Revenues $ 3,569,490 $ 3,397,646 Net income 307,994 375,339

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity's own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below: Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 – Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. The impact of our creditworthiness has been considered in the fair value measurements noted below. In addition, the fair value measurement of a liability must reflect the nonperformance risk of an entity. There were no movements of items between fair value hierarchies. In thousands Fair Value Measurements Using Total as of Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 55,634 $ 55,634 $ — $ — Short-term investments 69 69 — — Derivative financial instruments 1,207 — 1,207 — Total assets $ 56,910 $ 55,703 $ 1,207 $ — Liabilities: Contingent considerations $ 25,390 $ — $ — $ 25,390 Derivative financial instruments — — — — Total liabilities $ 25,390 $ — $ — $ 25,390 In thousands Fair Value Measurements Using Total as of Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,236 $ 22,236 $ — $ — Short-term investments 380 380 — — Derivative financial instruments 515 — 515 — Total assets $ 23,131 $ 22,616 $ 515 $ — Liabilities: Contingent considerations $ 19,941 $ — $ — $ 19,941 Derivative financial instruments 2,408 — 2,408 — Total liabilities $ 22,349 $ — $ 2,408 $ 19,941 For our derivative financial instruments, we use a market approach valuation technique based on observable market transactions of spot and forward rates. We recorded a $1.2 million asset related to the fair value of the U.S. dollar-Canadian dollar foreign currency swap which was classified as other assets at December 31, 2015 . The objective of the swap is to offset the foreign exchange risk to the U.S. dollar equivalent cash outflows for our Canadian subsidiary. In March 2015, we cash settled a treasury lock hedge for $8.8 million of which $5.3 million , net of $3.5 million tax, was recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income. The purpose was to lock in the interest rate on the issuance of private placement debt in July 2015 and to eliminate interest rate risk. We had contingent consideration liabilities recorded using Level 3 inputs in the amount of $25.4 million , of which $9.1 million was classified as current liabilities at December 31, 2015 . Contingent consideration liabilities were $19.9 million at December 31, 2014 . Contingent consideration represents amounts expected to be paid as part of acquisition consideration only if certain future events occur. These events are usually targets for revenues or earnings related to the business acquired. We arrive at the fair value of contingent consideration by applying a weighted probability of potential outcomes to the maximum possible payout. The calculation of these potential outcomes is dependent on both past financial performance and management assumptions about future performance. If the financial performance measures were all fully met, our maximum liability would be $44.8 million at December 31, 2015 . Contingent consideration liabilities are reassessed each quarter and are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in current liabilities within "Other current liabilities" and in non-current liabilities within "Other liabilities." Changes to contingent consideration are reflected in the table below: In thousands Contingent consideration at January 1, 2015 $ 19,941 Increases due to acquisitions 12,945 Decrease due to payments (1,853 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (5,003 ) Changes in fair value reflected in Selling, general, and administrative expenses (640 ) Contingent consideration at December 31, 2015 $ 25,390 Fair Value of Debt: At December 31, 2015 , the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated, using Level 2 inputs, at $3.22 billion compared to a carrying amount of $3.21 billion . At December 31, 2014 , the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated, using Level 2 inputs, at $1.67 billion compared to a carrying amount of $1.66 billion . The fair values were estimated using an income approach by applying market interest rates for comparable instruments. The Company has no current plans to retire a significant amount of its debt prior to maturity.

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES The U.S. and International components of income before income taxes consisted of the following for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands 2015 2014 2013 United States $ 378,815 $ 441,029 $ 407,315 Foreign 32,092 46,539 70,431 Total income before income taxes $ 410,907 $ 487,568 $ 477,746 Significant components of our income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 are as follows: In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Current United States - federal $ 105,941 $ 118,217 $ 103,751 United States - state and local 15,544 13,023 11,683 Foreign 16,512 14,930 24,486 137,997 146,170 139,920 Deferred United States - federal 23,762 29,730 31,808 United States - state and local 2,504 948 5,510 Foreign (21,369 ) (15,339 ) (10,246 ) Foreign - changes in statutory rates — (2,087 ) (2,330 ) 4,897 13,252 24,742 Total provision $ 142,894 $ 159,422 $ 164,662 A reconciliation of the income tax provision computed at the federal statutory rate to the effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 are as follows: 2015 2014 2013 Federal statutory income tax rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % Effect of: State and local taxes, net of federal tax effect 3.1 % 1.9 % 2.3 % Foreign tax rates (0.4 )% (0.5 )% (0.8 )% Change in deferred tax assets from an increase in tax basis of foreign assets (2.2 )% (1.8 )% — % Other (0.7 )% (1.9 )% (2.0 )% Effective tax rate 34.8 % 32.7 % 34.5 % Cash payments for income taxes were $125.1 million , $128.1 million , and $102.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 , respectively. Our deferred tax liabilities and assets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 were as follows: In thousands 2015 2014 Deferred tax liabilities: Property, plant and equipment $ (44,914 ) $ (41,071 ) Goodwill and intangibles (719,789 ) (453,854 ) Other (5,747 ) — Total deferred tax liabilities (770,450 ) (494,925 ) Deferred tax assets: Accrued liabilities 69,895 32,664 Stock based compensation 74,794 21,139 Other — 17,922 Net operating tax loss carry-forwards 37,976 20,017 Less: valuation allowance (17,585 ) (56 ) Total deferred tax assets 165,080 91,686 Net deferred tax liabilities $ (605,370 ) $ (403,239 ) At December 31, 2015 , net operating loss carry-forwards for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes have been fully utilized, excluding net operating loss carry-forwards related to our acquisitions. The net operating loss carry-forwards from foreign and domestic acquisitions are approximately $120.5 million and certain of these net operating loss carry-forwards begin to expire in 2017. The tax benefit of these net operating losses is approximately $38.0 million at December 31, 2015 , on which a valuation allowance of $17.6 million was recorded offsetting such tax benefit. Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries are considered permanently reinvested, and therefore no deferred taxes are recorded thereon. The cumulative amounts of such earnings are approximately $582 million at December 31, 2015 , and it is not practicable to estimate the amount of tax that may be payable upon distribution assuming repatriation. We and our subsidiaries file U.S. federal income tax returns and income tax returns in various states and foreign jurisdictions. With a few exceptions, we are no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2011. In 2014 , the Internal Revenue Service concluded an audit of our 2010 Corporate Income Tax return with no significant adjustments. The Company has recorded accruals to cover certain unrecognized tax positions. Such unrecognized tax positions relate to additional taxes that the Company may be required to pay in various tax jurisdictions. During the course of examinations by various taxing authorities, proposed adjustments may be asserted. The Company evaluates such items on a case-by-case basis and adjusts the accrual for unrecognized tax positions as deemed necessary. The estimated amount of liability associated with the Company’s unrecognized tax positions that may significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months cannot be reasonably estimated. The total amount of unrecognized tax positions at December 31, 2015 is $24.9 million . Acquisition activity has contributed to this amount. The amount of unrecognized tax positions that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate is approximately $19.6 million . We recognized interest and penalties accrued related to income tax reserves in the amount of $0.7 million and $0.3 million , for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively, as a component of income tax expense. The following table summarizes the changes in unrecognized tax positions during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 : In thousands Unrecognized tax positions, January 1, 2014 $ 14,910 Gross increases—tax positions in prior periods 200 Gross decreases—tax positions in prior periods (762 ) Gross increases—current period tax positions 3,081 Settlement (1,165 ) Lapse of statute of limitations (1,169 ) Unrecognized tax positions, December 31, 2014 $ 15,095 Gross increases—tax positions in prior periods 7,239 Gross decreases—tax positions in prior periods (793 ) Gross increases—current period tax positions 5,976 Settlement (200 ) Lapse of statute of limitations (2,375 ) Unrecognized tax positions, December 31, 2015 $ 24,942 The table above reflects $5.3 million in gross increases for tax positions in prior periods, which relate to recently acquired uncertain tax positions. The securities purchase agreement provides that the Vendor is liable for and has indemnified Stericycle against all income tax liabilities for periods prior to the acquisition. Stericycle will be responsible for unrecognized tax benefits and related interest and penalties for periods after the acquisition.

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
STOCK BASED COMPENSATION	STOCK BASED COMPENSATION At December 31, 2015 , we had the following active stock option plans: • the 2014 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2014; • the 2011 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2011; • the 2008 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2008; • the 2005 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in April 2005; • the 2000 Non-statutory Stock Option Plan, which expired in February 2010; • the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"), which our stockholders approved in May 2001. At December 31, 2015 , we have reserved a total of 8,637,762 shares for issuance under these plans. In terms of the stock options authorized, the 2014 Plan, 2011 Plan, 2008 Plan, and the 2005 Plan provide for the grant of non-statutory stock options ("NSOs") and incentive stock options ("ISOs") intended to qualify under section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code; and the 2000 Plan provides for the grant of NSOs. The 2014, 2011, 2008 and 2005 Plans authorize awards to our officers, employees and consultants, and following the expiration of the Directors Plan in May 2006, to our directors; and the 2000 Plan authorized awards to our employees and consultants but not to our officers and directors. The exercise price per share of an option granted under any of our stock option plans may not be less than the closing price of a share of our common stock on the date of grant. The maximum term of an option granted under any plan may not exceed 8 or 10 years . An option may be exercised only when it is vested and, in the case of an option granted to an employee (including an officer), only while he or she remains an employee and for a limited period following the termination of his or her employment. New shares are issued upon exercise of stock options. Employee Stock Purchase Plan: In October 2000, our Board of Directors adopted the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"), which our stock holders approved in May 2001, and was made effective as of July 1, 2001. The ESPP authorizes 900,000 shares of our common stock, which substantially most employees may purchase through payroll deductions at a price equal to 85% of the lower of the fair market values of the stock as of the beginning or the end of the six -month offering periods. An employee's payroll deductions, and stock purchase, may not exceed $5,000 during any offering period. During 2015 , 2014 and 2013 , 68,039 shares, 60,189 shares, and 52,956 shares respectively, were issued through the ESPP. At December 31, 2015 , we had 191,464 shares available for issuance under the ESPP plan. Stock Based Compensation Expense: During 2015 , there were no changes to our stock compensation plans or modifications to outstanding stock-based awards which would change the value of any awards outstanding. Compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards granted subsequent to January 1, 2006 is based on the grant-date fair value determined in accordance with the provisions of FASB accounting standards for share-based payments. The following table presents the total stock-based compensation expense resulting from stock option awards, restricted stock units ("RSUs"), and the ESPP included in the Consolidated Statements of Income: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Cost of revenues - stock option plan $ 92 $ 52 $ 120 Selling, general and administrative - stock option plan 18,541 15,214 15,212 Selling, general and administrative - RSUs 1,484 1,267 1,116 Selling, general and administrative - ESPP 1,633 1,240 1,009 Total pre-tax expense $ 21,750 $ 17,773 $ 17,457 The following table sets forth the tax benefits related to stock compensation: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Tax benefit recognized in Statements of Income $ 5,567 $ 4,849 $ 4,518 Excess tax benefit realized 16,897 17,906 17,153 Stock Options: Options granted to directors vest in one year and options granted to officers and employees generally vest over five years . Expense related to the graded vesting options is recognized using the straight-line method over the vesting period. Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2015 , is summarized as follows: Number of Weighted Outstanding at beginning of year 5,377,857 $ 80.88 Granted 1,056,490 130.56 Exercised (906,104 ) 66.93 Forfeited (188,927 ) 111.07 Canceled or expired (4,513 ) 84.52 Outstanding at December 31, 2015 5,334,803 92.02 Exercisable at December 31, 2015 2,747,266 73.22 Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2015 5,135,286 91.00 At December 31, 2015 , there was $46.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.86 years . The following table sets forth the total intrinsic value of options exercised for the years ended December 31: In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Total exercise intrinsic value of options exercised $ 62,625 $ 65,884 $ 55,757 The total exercise intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax value (the difference between the sales price on the trading day the option was exercised and the exercise price associated with the respective option). The following table sets forth the information related to outstanding and exercisable options for the years ended December 31: 2015 2014 2013 Weighted average remaining contractual life of outstanding options (in years) 5.70 6.10 6.60 Total aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding options (in thousands) $ 162,400 $ 269,900 $ 254,200 Weighted average remaining contractual life of exercisable options (in years) 4.70 5.10 5.30 Total aggregate intrinsic value of exercisable options (in thousands) $ 130,600 $ 178,300 $ 161,100 The total aggregate intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value (the difference between our closing stock price on the last day of trading for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would have been received by the option holders assuming all option holders had exercised their options on December 31, 2015 ; this amount changes based on the fair market value of our stock. Options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2015 by price range are presented below: Options Outstanding Options Exercisable Range of Exercise Price Shares Outstanding Average Remaining Life in Years Weighted Average Exercise Price Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price $29.54 - $51.55 912,043 3.15 $ 47.61 912,043 $ 47.61 $52.05 - $85.00 956,708 4.22 72.90 817,286 70.84 $85.02 - $85.76 10,650 6.25 85.40 5,750 85.37 $86.24 - $86.24 604,758 6.09 86.24 302,334 86.24 $86.83 - $95.03 142,097 6.02 89.83 110,895 89.11 $95.87 - $95.87 781,470 7.12 95.87 299,599 95.87 $95.92 - $115.51 162,252 7.25 110.41 102,739 109.94 $115.69 - $115.69 732,411 6.14 115.69 147,361 115.69 $115.82 - $130.11 128,583 7.68 122.59 15,954 117.80 $130.19 - $141.56 903,831 7.33 131.20 33,305 133.49 $29.54 - $141.56 5,334,803 5.70 $ 92.02 2,747,266 $ 73.22 The Company uses historical data to estimate expected life and volatility. The estimated fair value of stock options at the time of the grant using the Black-Scholes model option pricing model was as follows: Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Stock options granted (shares) 1,056,490 981,583 1,057,630 Weighted average fair value at grant date $ 22.90 $ 21.31 $ 22.02 Assumptions: Expected term (in years) 4.79 4.76 5.81 Expected volatility 16.71 % 17.23 % 27.03 % Expected dividend yield — % — % — % Risk free interest rate 1.47 % 1.53 % 1.00 % Restricted Stock Units: The fair value of restricted stock units ("RSUs") is based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant and is amortized to expense over the service period. RSUs vest and released at the end of three or five years. Our 2008, 2011 and 2014 Plans include a share reserve related to RSUs granted at a 2 -1 ratio. The following table sets forth the information related to RSUs for the years ended December 31: 2015 2014 2013 Total aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding units (in thousands) $ 8,441 $ 8,337 $ 8,185 Per share fair value of units granted 114.27 115.67 96.40 A summary of the status of our non-vested RSUs and changes during the year ended December 31, 2015 , are as follows: Number of Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Non-vested at beginning of year 63,600 $ 96.04 Granted 12,124 114.27 Forfeited (4,273 ) 101.20 Non-vested at December 31, 2015 71,451 101.29 At December 31, 2015 , there was $3.8 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.20 years . There were no units that vested during the year ended December 31, 2015. The fair value of units that vested during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was $2.0 million and $1.2 million , respectively.

PREFERRED STOCK

PREFERRED STOCK	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
PREFERRED STOCK	PREFERRED STOCK At December 31, 2015 , we had 1,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock and 770,000 shares issued and outstanding under Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock. At December 31 2014 , we had 1,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock and no shares issued or outstanding. Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock Offering: On September 15, 2015, we completed a registered public offering of 7,700,000 depositary shares, each representing a 1/10th interest in a share of our 5.25% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), at a public offering price of $100.00 per depository share for total gross proceeds of $770.0 million . Net proceeds were $746.9 million after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and expenses. We used the net proceeds from this offering to fund a portion of the purchase price paid for our acquisition of Shred-it (see Note 3 - Acquisitions in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information). Unless earlier converted or redeemed, each share of the Series A Preferred Stock will automatically convert into between 5.8716 and 7.3394 shares of our common stock, subject to anti-dilution and other adjustments, on the mandatory conversion date, which is expected to be September 15, 2018. The number of shares of our common stock issuable on conversion will be determined based on the volume-weighted average price of our common stock over the 20 trading day period commencing on and including the 23rd scheduled trading day prior to September 15, 2018. Subject to certain restrictions, at any time prior to September 15, 2018, holders of the Series A Preferred Stock may elect to convert all or a portion of their shares into common stock at the minimum conversion rate of 5.8716 shares of common stock per share of Series A Preferred Stock, subject to adjustment. Dividends on shares of the Series A Preferred Stock are payable on a cumulative basis when, as and if declared by our board of directors, or an authorized committee thereof, at an annual rate of 5.25% on the liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (and, correspondingly, $100.00 per share with respect to the depositary shares). The dividends may be payable in cash, or subject to certain limitations, in shares of our common stock, or any combination of cash and shares of our common stock, on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on December 15, 2015, and to, and including, September 15, 2018.

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE	EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period increased to include the number of additional shares of common stock that would have been outstanding if the potentially dilutive securities had been issued. Potentially dilutive securities include outstanding stock options, shares to be purchased under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan, RSUs, and the assumed conversion of mandatory convertible preferred stock. The effect of potentially dilutive securities is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the "treasury stock method" for outstanding restricted stock awards and stock options. Under the treasury stock method, an increase in the fair market value of the Company’s common stock can result in a greater dilutive effect from potentially dilutive securities. For the issue of the mandatory convertible preferred stock, we use "if-converted method." Under the if-converted method, the preferred dividend applicable to convertible preferred stock is added back to net income attributable to Stericycle, the numerator. The Mandatory Convertible Preferred shares are assumed to be converted to common shares at the beginning of the period or, if later, at the time of issuance, and the resulting common shares are included in the denominator. In applying the if-converted method, conversion shall not be assumed for purposes of computing diluted EPS if the effect would be anti-dilutive. The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share: Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Numerator: Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. $ 267,046 $ 326,456 $ 311,372 Less: mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend 10,106 — — Numerator for basic earnings per share attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders 256,940 326,456 311,372 Denominator: Denominator for basic earnings per share-weighted average shares 84,944,841 84,932,792 85,902,550 Effect of diluted securities: Employee stock options 1,217,768 1,300,820 1,489,438 Mandatory convertible preferred stock (1) — — — Denominator for diluted earnings per share-adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises 86,162,609 86,233,612 87,391,988 Earnings per share – Basic $ 3.02 $ 3.84 $ 3.62 Earnings per share – Diluted $ 2.98 $ 3.79 $ 3.56 (1) In 2015, the weighted average common shares issuable upon the assumed conversion of the mandatory convertible preferred stock totaling 1,648,318 shares were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as such conversion would have been anti-dilutive. In 2015, 2014 and 2013, options to purchase 818,093 shares, 830,755 shares, and 846,808 shares, respectively, at exercise prices of $117.09 - $141.56 , $105.12 - $132.95 , and $94.76 - $119.19 were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the effect would have been anti-dilutive. For additional information regarding outstanding employee stock options, see Note 6 - Stock Based Compensation in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) The following table sets forth the changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive income for 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands Currency Translation Adjustments Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/ (Loss) Beginning balance at January 1, 2013 $ (37,292 ) $ (1,772 ) $ (39,064 ) Period change (17,718 ) 314 (17,404 ) Ending balance at December 31, 2013 $ (55,010 ) $ (1,458 ) $ (56,468 ) Period change (80,221 ) (1,730 ) (81,951 ) Ending balance at December 31, 2014 $ (135,231 ) $ (3,188 ) $ (138,419 ) Period change (140,809 ) (3,403 ) (144,212 ) Ending balance at December 31, 2015 $ (276,040 ) $ (6,591 ) $ (282,631 ) The net tax impact of the unrealized gains/ (losses) on cash flow hedges in accumulated other comprehensive income at December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 was $2.2 million , $0.6 million , and $0.2 million , respectively. Translation adjustments are not tax-effected as the Company’s net investment in foreign subsidiaries and all related foreign earnings are deemed permanently invested.

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT Property, plant and equipment at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following items: In thousands 2015 2014 Land and improvements $ 65,621 $ 63,600 Building and improvements 166,874 142,680 Machinery and equipment 314,252 250,684 Vehicles 136,379 56,650 Containers 190,454 155,238 Office equipment and furniture 117,632 80,158 Software 46,979 40,291 Construction in progress 53,430 35,231 Total property, plant & equipment 1,091,621 824,532 Less: accumulated depreciation (426,019 ) (364,124 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 665,602 $ 460,408

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE A

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS Goodwill and other identifiable indefinite lived intangibles are not amortized, but are subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequent testing if circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. Goodwill: We have two geographical reportable segments, "United States" and "International," both of which have goodwill. We have retroactively reclassified $4.3 million of goodwill related to Puerto Rico from the United States segment to the International segment. The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill since January 1, 2014, by reportable segment, were as follows: In thousands United States International Total Balance at January 1, 2014 $ 1,673,810 $ 557,772 $ 2,231,582 Goodwill acquired during year 169,754 88,263 258,017 Purchase accounting allocation adjustments (4,825 ) (17,595 ) (22,420 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations — (48,347 ) (48,347 ) Balance at December 31, 2014 1,838,739 580,093 2,418,832 Goodwill acquired during year 1,177,431 273,519 1,450,950 Purchase accounting allocation adjustments (43,895 ) 15,618 (28,277 ) Goodwill other changes — (440 ) (440 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations — (82,888 ) (82,888 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ 2,972,275 $ 785,902 $ 3,758,177 Current year adjustments to goodwill for certain 2014 acquisitions are primarily due to the finalization of intangible asset valuations. During the quarter ended June 30, 2015, we performed our annual goodwill impairment evaluation for our three reporting units: Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services, Domestic Regulated Recall and Returns Management Services, and International Regulated and Compliance Services. We calculated fair value for our reporting units using an income method and validated those results using a market approach. Both the income and market approaches indicated no impairment to goodwill to any of our three reporting units. Income Approach: The income approach uses expected future cash flows of each reporting unit and discounts those cash flows to present values. Expected future cash flows are calculated using management assumptions of internal growth, capital expenditures, and cost efficiencies. Future acquisitions are not included in the expected future cash flows. We use a discount rate based on our Company calculated weighted average cost of capital which is adjusted for each of our reporting units based on size risk premium and country risk premium. Significant assumptions used in the income approach include realization of future cash flows and the discount rate used to present value those cash flows. The results of our goodwill impairment test using the income approach indicated the fair value of our Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services and Recall and Returns Management Services reporting units exceeded book value by a substantial amount; in excess of 100% . Our International Regulated and Compliance Services reporting units' fair value exceeded book value by approximately 88% and had $589.3 million in assigned goodwill at June 30, 2015. Market Approach: Our market approach begins by calculating the market capitalization of the Company using the average stock price for the prior twelve months and the outstanding share count at June 30, 2015. We then look at the Company's Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA"), adjusted for stock compensation expense and other items, such as changes in the fair value of contingent consideration, restructuring and plant conversion expense, and litigation settlements, for the prior twelve months. The calculated market capitalization is divided by the modified EBITDA to arrive at a valuation multiple. The fair value of each reporting unit is then calculated by taking the product of the valuation multiple and the trailing twelve months' modified EBITDA of that reporting unit. The fair value was then compared to the reporting units' book value and determined to be in excess of the book value. We believe that starting with the fair value of the company as a whole is a reasonable measure as that fair value is then allocated to each reporting unit based on that reporting unit's individual earnings. A sustained drop in our stock price would have a negative impact to our fair value calculations. A temporary drop in earnings of a reporting unit would have a negative impact to our fair value calculations. The results of our goodwill impairment test using the market approach corroborated the results of the impairment test under the income approach and indicated the fair value of our reporting units exceeded their respective book values by substantial amounts. Other Intangible Assets: At December 31, 2015 and 2014 , the values of other intangible assets were as follows: In thousands 2015 2014 Gross Accumulated Net Gross Accumulated Net Amortizable intangibles: Customer relationships $ 1,304,388 $ 144,020 $ 1,160,368 $ 755,148 $ 107,365 $ 647,783 Covenants not-to-compete 6,878 5,141 1,737 8,474 5,688 2,786 Tradenames 3,819 948 2,871 6,062 1,313 4,749 Other 18,902 916 17,986 1,150 556 594 Indefinite lived intangibles: Operating permits 233,101 — 233,101 247,933 — 247,933 Tradenames 426,498 — 426,498 5,800 — 5,800 Total $ 1,993,586 $ 151,025 $ 1,842,561 $ 1,024,567 $ 114,922 $ 909,645 The changes in the carrying amount of intangible assets since January 1, 2014 were as follows: In thousands Total Balance as of January 1, 2014 $ 720,035 Intangible assets acquired during the year 277,041 Impairments during the year (9,863 ) Amortization during the year (32,692 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (44,876 ) Balance as of December 31, 2014 909,645 Intangible assets acquired during the year 1,052,016 Impairments during the year (4,177 ) Amortization during the year (45,498 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (69,425 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ 1,842,561 In 2015 and 2014 , $4.2 million and $9.9 million of intangibles were impaired, respectively, due to rationalizing certain of our domestic and international operations. Intangibles impaired in 2015 included $0.2 million of customer relationships, $1.3 million of tradenames and $2.7 million of operating permits. These expenses are reflected as part of SG&A on our Consolidated Statements of Income. Under generally accepted accounting principles, a fair value must be assigned to all acquired assets based on a theoretical "market participant" regardless of the acquirers' intended use for these assets. This accounting treatment can lead to the recognition of losses when a company disposes of acquired assets. We complete our annual impairment analysis of our indefinite lived intangibles during the quarter ended December 31 of each year, or more frequently, if circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. Our finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. We have determined that our customer relationships have useful lives from 10 to 40 years based upon the type of customer, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 19.2 years. We have covenants not-to-compete intangibles with useful lives from 5 to 14 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 3.7 years. We have tradename intangibles with useful lives from 15 to 40 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 17.2 years. Other intangibles mainly consist of landfill air rights with a weighted average remaining useful life of 19.1 years. We have determined that our permits have indefinite lives due to our ability to renew these permits with minimal additional cost, and therefore these are not amortized. We also have a tradename that we have determined has an indefinite life. During the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 the aggregate amortization expense was $45.5 million , $32.7 million and $27.1 million , respectively. The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years, assuming no additional amortizable intangible assets, is as follows for the years ended December 31: In thousands 2016 $ 72,174 2017 71,507 2018 71,459 2019 71,302 2020 71,012 Future amortization expense may fluctuate depending on changes in foreign currency rates, future acquisitions, or changes to the estimated amortizable life of the intangibles. The estimates for amortization expense noted above are based upon foreign exchange rates at December 31, 2015 .

ACCRUED LIABILITIES

ACCRUED LIABILITIES	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
ACCRUED LIABILITIES	ACCRUED LIABILITIES Accrued liabilities at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following items: In thousands 2015 2014 Accrued compensation $ 62,721 $ 37,932 Accrued insurance 43,390 40,387 Accrued taxes 27,363 17,847 Accrued interest 13,829 9,096 Accrued professional services liabilities 6,948 3,703 Accrued liabilities - other 43,078 22,778 Total accrued liabilities $ 197,329 $ 131,743

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIABI

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIABILITIES	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIABILITIES	ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIABILITIES We record a liability for environmental remediation when such liability becomes probable and the costs or damages can be reasonably estimated. We accrue environmental remediation costs, on an undiscounted basis, associated with identified sites where an assessment has indicated that cleanup costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated, but the timing of such payments is not fixed and determinable. Such accruals are based on currently available information, estimated timing of remedial actions, existing technology, and enacted laws and regulations. The liability for environmental remediation is included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in current liabilities within "Accrued liabilities" and in noncurrent liabilities within "Other liabilities." At December 31, 2015 , the total environmental remediation liabilities recorded were $30.8 million , of which $2.1 million was classified as accrued liabilities and $28.7 million was classified as other liabilities.

DEBT

DEBT	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
DEBT	DEBT Long-term debt consisted of the following at December 31: In thousands 2015 2014 Obligations under capital leases $ 15,024 $ 9,185 $1.20 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.54%, due in 2019 353,763 459,975 $1.25 billion term loan weighted average rate 1.71%, due in 2020 1,250,000 — $100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015 — 100,000 $175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017 175,000 175,000 $125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019 125,000 125,000 $225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020 225,000 225,000 $150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021 150,000 — $125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022 125,000 125,000 $200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022 200,000 — $100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023 100,000 — $150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023 150,000 — Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 2.54% and weighted average maturity of 3.4 years 239,731 279,590 Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 2.1 years 105,530 160,465 Total debt 3,214,048 1,659,215 Less: current portion of total debt 161,409 131,969 Long-term portion of total debt $ 3,052,639 $ 1,527,246 Our $1.20 billion senior credit facility maturing in June 2019, our $1.25 billion term loan maturing in August 2020, our $175.0 million private placement notes maturing in October 2017, our $125.0 million private placement notes maturing in December 2019, our $225.0 million private placement notes maturing in October 2020, our $150.0 million private placement maturing in October 2021, our $125.0 million private placement notes maturing in December 2022, our $200.0 million private placement notes maturing July 2022, our $100.0 million private placement notes maturing in July 2023, and our $150.0 million private placement notes maturing in October 2023 all require us to comply with various financial, reporting and other covenants and restrictions, including a restriction on dividend payments. The financial debt covenants are the same for the senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes. At December 31, 2015 , we were in compliance with all of our financial debt covenants. Our senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes rank pari passu to each other and all other unsecured debt obligations. At December 31, 2015 and 2014 , we had $160.4 million and $162.9 million , respectively, committed to outstanding letters of credit under our senior credit facility. The unused portion of the revolving credit facility was $685.8 million and $577.1 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively. On April 30, 2015, we entered into a note purchase agreement with several institutional purchasers pursuant to which we have issued and sold to the purchasers $200.0 million of our new seven -year 2.72% unsecured senior notes ("Series A") and $100.0 million of our new eight -year 2.79% unsecured senior notes ("Series B"). Closing of the issuance and sale of the notes occurred on July 31, 2015. The Series A notes bear interest at the fixed rate of 2.72% per annum, and the Series B notes bear interest at the fixed rate of 2.79% per annum. Interest will be payable in arrears semi-annually on January 1 and July 1 beginning on January 1, 2016. The principal of the Series A notes will be payable at the maturity of the notes on July 1, 2022, and the principal of the Series B notes will be payable at the maturity of the notes on July 1, 2023. The notes are unsecured obligations. The Company entered into a Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of August 21, 2015 (the "Term Loan Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, N.A., as the Administrative Agent maturing on August 21, 2020. The Term Loan Credit Agreement provides for a term loan credit facility ("Term Loan Credit Facility") under which the Company may obtain loans up to an aggregate amount of $1.5 billion . Borrowings under the Term Loan Credit Facility may bear interest at a Base Rate or Eurodollar Rate, respectively, plus the Applicable Rate. The Base Rate is for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1.00%, (ii) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its "prime rate" and (iii) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.00% . The Applicable Rate depends on the consolidated leverage ratio for the Company and its subsidiaries as set forth in the most recent compliance certificate received by the administrative agent. We used the proceeds from the term loan to fund a portion of the purchase price paid for the Shred-it acquisition (see Note 3 - Acquisitions in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information). On October 1, 2015, we issued and sold to the purchasers $150.0 million of new six -year 2.89% unsecured senior notes and $150.0 million of new eight -year 3.18% unsecured senior notes (collectively, the "Notes"). The Notes bear interest on the unpaid principal thereof from October 1, 2015 at their respective stated rates of interest payable in arrears semi-annually on the first (1st) day of April and October in each year and at maturity, commencing on April 1, 2016. The Notes are unsecured obligations. We used the proceeds from the unsecured senior notes to fund a portion of the purchase price paid for the Shred-it acquisition (see Note 3 - Acquisitions in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information). Payments due on long-term debt, excluding capital lease obligations, during each of the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 are as follows: In thousands 2016 $ 157,227 2017 345,342 2018 215,549 2019 862,803 2020 875,159 Thereafter 742,944 $ 3,199,024 We paid interest of $68.0 million , $57.8 million , and $51.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Property under capital leases included with property, plant and equipment in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is as follows at December 31: In thousands 2015 2014 Land $ 157 $ 174 Buildings 804 896 Machinery and equipment 6,105 1,230 Vehicles 15,925 13,108 Less: accumulated depreciation (7,148 ) (5,375 ) $ 15,843 $ 10,033 Amortization related to these capital leases is included with depreciation expense. Minimum future lease payments under capital leases are as follows: In thousands 2016 $ 4,622 2017 5,364 2018 2,041 2019 2,226 2020 1,557 Thereafter 419 Total minimum lease payments 16,229 Less: amounts representing interest (1,205 ) Present value of net minimum lease payments 15,024 Less: current portion included in other current liabilities (4,182 ) Long-term obligations under capital leases $ 10,842

LEASE COMMITMENTS

LEASE COMMITMENTS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Leases [Abstract]
LEASE COMMITMENTS	LEASE COMMITMENTS We lease various plant equipment, office furniture and equipment, motor vehicles, office and warehouse space, and landfills under operating lease agreements, which expire at various dates over the next 20 years. The leases for most of the properties contain renewal provisions. Rent expense for 2015 , 2014 and 2013 was $139.0 million , $111.5 million , and $92.4 million , respectively. Minimum future rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases that have initial or remaining terms in excess of one year at December 31, 2015 for each of the next five years and in the aggregate are as follows: In thousands 2016 $ 104,958 2017 89,284 2018 71,264 2019 52,923 2020 34,078 Thereafter 47,168 $ 399,675

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGR

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION	PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION The FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 280, Segment Reporting , requires segment information to be reported based on information utilized by executive management to internally assess performance and make operating decisions. We have determined that we have two operating and reportable segments based on the organizational structure of our Company and information reviewed by our Chief Operating Decision Maker. These operating and reportable segments are Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services ("Domestic") and International Regulated and Compliance Services ("International"). We are in the process of determining the integration of the Shred-it organization within Stericycle. Currently the operations of Shred-it are part of our Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services and International operating segments, based on the the location of the revenue producing customer. We have retroactively reclassified immaterial amounts related to Puerto Rico from the United States segment to the International segment. Summary information for our reportable segments is as follows: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Revenues: United States $ 2,165,030 $ 1,788,390 $ 1,498,347 International: Europe 441,231 407,082 341,387 Other international countries 379,647 360,129 303,073 Total International 820,878 767,211 644,460 Total $ 2,985,908 $ 2,555,601 $ 2,142,807 Income before income taxes: United States $ 382,692 $ 436,958 $ 405,403 International 28,215 50,610 72,343 Total $ 410,907 $ 487,568 $ 477,746 Total assets: United States $ 5,173,779 $ 2,916,296 $ 2,557,224 International 1,903,671 1,457,006 1,330,749 Total $ 7,077,450 $ 4,373,302 $ 3,887,973 Property, Plant and Equipment, net: United States $ 434,202 $ 284,788 $ 212,518 International: Europe 95,771 70,621 74,915 Other international countries 135,629 104,999 71,534 Total International 231,400 175,620 146,449 Total $ 665,602 $ 460,408 $ 358,967 Revenues are attributable to countries based on the location of customers. Intercompany revenues recorded by the United States for work performed in Canada are eliminated prior to reporting United States revenues. The same accounting principles and critical accounting policies are used in the preparation of the financial statements for both reportable segments. Detailed information for our United States reportable segment is as follows: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Regulated and compliance solutions $ 2,062,204 $ 1,707,031 $ 1,400,572 Recall and returns solutions 102,826 81,359 97,775 Total revenues $ 2,165,030 $ 1,788,390 $ 1,498,347 Net interest expense 51,680 44,850 43,012 Income before income taxes 382,692 436,958 405,403 Income taxes 145,815 161,497 152,753 Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. $ 236,877 $ 275,461 $ 252,650 Depreciation and amortization $ 78,587 $ 59,389 $ 49,725 Capital expenditures 53,495 56,507 42,760 Detailed information for our International reportable segment is as follows: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Revenues - Regulated and compliance solutions $ 820,878 $ 767,211 $ 644,460 Net interest expense 25,594 21,172 11,937 Income before income taxes 28,215 50,610 72,343 Income taxes (2,921 ) (2,075 ) 11,909 Net income 31,136 52,685 60,434 Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 967 1,690 1,712 Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. $ 30,169 $ 50,995 $ 58,722 Depreciation and amortization $ 48,825 $ 45,227 $ 38,683 Capital expenditures 61,266 29,989 30,349

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
RESTRUCTURING CHARGES	RESTRUCTURING CHARGES During the first quarter of 2015, management began executing a realignment of our operations to reduce labor redundancies and facility costs. As part of this realignment, the Company recorded charges related to severance, fixed asset and intangible assets impairments, and recognition of lease expense for properties no longer used but for which we have a contractual obligation. The recorded restructuring liabilities are expected to be paid primarily within the current year. While the Company believes the recorded restructuring liabilities are adequate, revisions to current estimates may be recorded in future periods based on new information as it becomes available. There could be additional initiatives in the future to further streamline our operations. As such, the Company expects further expenses related to workforce reductions and other facility rationalization costs when those restructuring plans are finalized and related expenses are estimable. The following table below highlights $19.1 million of pre-tax restructuring charges by reporting segment for the year ended December 31, 2015, which are reflected as part of SG&A on our Consolidated Statements of Income: In thousands Year Ended December 31, 2015 United States International Total Charges to Income Employee severance and related costs $ 4,284 $ 4,275 $ 8,559 Other costs 2,963 1,494 4,457 Non-cash items: Fixed assets impairment 3,133 70 3,203 Intangible assets impairment 2,167 247 2,414 Other — 445 445 Total pre-tax restructuring expenses $ 12,547 $ 6,531 $ 19,078 The following table summarizes restructuring activity during 2015 which is reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as part of "Accrued liabilities:" In thousands Employee Severance and Related Costs Other Costs Total Liability balance at January 1, 2015 $ — $ — $ — Charges to income 8,559 4,457 13,016 Payments (7,469 ) (2,891 ) (10,360 ) Other 14 — 14 Liability balance at December 31, 2015 $ 1,104 $ 1,566 $ 2,670

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN	EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN We have two 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plans (the “plan(s)”), one of which was part of the recent Shred-it acquisition, covering substantially all domestic employees. The following describes our two domestic plans: • Each participant may elect to defer a portion of his or her compensation subject to certain limitations. The Company may contribute up to 50% of the first 5% of compensation contributed to the plan by each employee up to a maximum of $1,750 . Our contributions for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 were $4.8 million , $3.6 million , and $3.0 million , respectively. • Each participant may elect to defer a portion of his or her compensation subject to certain limitations. They Company may contribute up to 100% of the first 3% of the employee's eligible earnings, plus up to 50% of the next 2% of the employee's eligible earnings, subject to IRS limits. Our contribution for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $0.9 million . The Company has several foreign defined contribution plans, which require the Company to contribute a percentage of the participating employee’s salary according to local regulations. For the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 , total contributions made by the Company for these plans were approximately $2.1 million , $1.9 million , and $0.9 million , respectively.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	LEGAL PROCEEDINGS We operate in a highly regulated industry and must deal with regulatory inquiries or investigations from time to time that may be instituted for a variety of reasons. We are also involved in a variety of civil litigation from time to time. We review all of our outstanding legal proceedings with counsel quarterly, and we will disclose an estimate of any reasonably possible loss or range of reasonably possible losses if and when we are able to make such an estimate and the reasonably possible loss or range of reasonably possible losses is material to our financial statements. Qui Tam Action. As disclosed in our current report on Form 8-K filed on October 14, 2015, we entered into a settlement agreement on October 8, 2015 to resolve all claims made against us in the previously disclosed qui tam (or "whistle blower") action filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois captioned United States of America ex rel. Jennifer D. Perez v. Stericycle, Inc., Case No. 1:08-cv-2390 (the "Qui Tam Action"). Originally filed under seal on April 28, 2008 by a former employee of ours ("Relator") on behalf of the federal government, the Qui Tam Action was amended on June 28, 2010 to add the States of California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, the Commonwealths of Massachusetts and Virginia, and the District of Columbia (except for New Hampshire and New York, the "Government Entities"). The Qui Tam Action was further amended on July 23, 2013 to allege certain claims on behalf of the Government Entities and to drop any claims on behalf of the State of New Hampshire. The State of New York pursued its own investigation under the New York False Claims Act resulting in our settlement announced by the New York Attorney General’s office on January 8, 2013. Brought under the federal False Claims Act and comparable state statutes, the Qui Tam Action alleged that, from January 1, 2003 to June 30, 2014, we improperly increased our service price to certain government customers without their consent or contractual authorization. We have denied all liability for the claims made in the Qui Tam Action but have agreed to settle to avoid the expense, burden and inherent risk and uncertainty of litigation. Under the terms of the settlement agreement entered into with Relator (the "Settlement"), we paid (i) $26.75 million to a third-party administrator to be allocated among the Government Entities as determined by the Government Entities themselves without any involvement by us and (ii) $1.75 million in full satisfaction of any claims by Relator and Relator’s counsel for attorneys’ fees, expenses and costs. We did not admit in the Settlement to any of the allegations in the Qui Tam Action, and the Settlement cannot be used as an admission of wrongdoing or liability on our part. In addition, we are completely released from any and all claims brought by Relator and the Government Entities. In view of the Settlement, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $28.5 million during the third quarter 2015 which is included in SG&A expenses on our Consolidated Statement of Income. We made the payments described above on October 21, 2015 in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement. On February 1, 2016, the Qui Tam Action was dismissed with prejudice pursuant to the Settlement. Class Action Lawsuits. As we have previously disclosed, we were served on March 12, 2013 with a class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania by an individual plaintiff for itself and on behalf of all other "similarly situated" customers of ours. The complaint alleges, among other things, that we imposed unauthorized or excessive price increases and other charges on our customers in breach of our contracts and in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The complaint sought certification of the lawsuit as a class action and the award to class members of appropriate damages and injunctive relief. The Pennsylvania class action complaint was filed in the wake of a settlement with the State of New York of an investigation under the New York False Claims Act which arose out of the Qui Tam Action described above. Following the filing of the Pennsylvania class action complaint, we were served with class action complaints filed in federal court in California, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi and Utah and in state court in California. These complaints asserted claims and allegations substantially similar to those made in the Pennsylvania class action complaint. All of these cases appear to be follow-on litigation to our settlement with the State of New York. On August 9, 2013, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted our Motion to Transfer these related actions to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for centralized pretrial proceedings (the "MDL Action"). On December 10, 2013, we filed our answer to the Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint in the MDL Action, generally denying the allegations therein. On January 29, 2016, the plaintiffs’ attorneys filed a Second Amended Consolidated Complaint and a Motion for Class Certification in the MDL Action. The Motion requests that the court certify a class of plaintiffs consisting of certain of our small quantity customers who received rate increases. We intend to strongly contest the Motion. We believe that we have operated in accordance with the terms of our customer contracts and that these complaints are without merit. We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against each of these lawsuits. We have not accrued any amounts in respect of these class action lawsuits, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) litigation is by its nature uncertain and unpredictable, (ii) we do not know whether the court will certify any class of plaintiffs or, if any class is certified, how the class would be defined, and (iii) in our judgment, there are no comparable proceedings against other defendants that might provide guidance in making estimates. Junk Fax Lawsuit. As previously disclosed, on May 20, 2015, we entered into a settlement agreement to resolve all claims made against us and certain of our subsidiaries in Sawyer v. Stericycle, et al., Case No. 2015 CH 07190 (the "TCPA Action"), a class action complaint filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois (the "Court"). The TCPA Action was the successor lawsuit to the class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Case 1:14-cv-02070) that we have previously disclosed and that was dismissed pursuant to the parties’ joint stipulation of dismissal. The TCPA Action alleged that from 2010 to 2014 we violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, as amended by the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005, by sending facsimile advertisements to plaintiffs or putative class members that either were unsolicited and/or did not contain a valid opt-out notice. We have denied all liability for the claims made in the TCPA Action but have agreed to settle to avoid the expense, burden and inherent risk and uncertainty of litigation. Under the terms of the settlement agreement entered into with the two class representatives, we agreed to make available a fund of $45.0 million (the "Settlement Fund") to pay class members who submit a valid claim form within a 90 -day period, to pay an incentive award to each of the class representatives, to pay attorneys’ fees and expenses to plaintiffs’ attorneys, and to pay fees and costs of a third-party settlement administrator (the "TCPA Settlement"). The plaintiffs’ attorneys sought attorneys’ fees of one-third of the Settlement Fund, plus out-of-pocket expenses, to be paid from the Settlement Fund. As part of the TCPA Settlement, we did not admit to any of the allegations in the TCPA Action and are completely released from any claims related to faxes sent by us or on our behalf from March 25, 2010 through April 30, 2015. On August 27, 2015, the TCPA Action was dismissed with prejudice. Based on the claims filed in connection with the TCPA Settlement, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $28.2 million during 2015 which is included in SG&A expenses on our Consolidated Statement of Income. We made payments totaling $15.2 million in respect of the incentive awards to each of the class representatives and the attorneys’ fees and expenses of plaintiffs’ attorneys during August 2015. In December 2015, we paid a total of $13.0 million in respect of valid claims submitted by class members within the claims period. Environmental Matters. On April 22, 2014, we completed our acquisition of PSC Environmental Services, LLC ("PSC Environmental") and consequently became subject to the legal proceedings in which PSC Environmental was a party on that date. PSC Environmental’s operations are regulated by federal, state and local laws enacted to regulate the discharge of materials into the environment, remediate contaminated soil and groundwater or otherwise protect the environment. As a result of this continuing regulation, PSC Environmental frequently becomes a party to legal or administrative proceedings involving various governmental authorities and other interested parties. The issues involved in these proceedings generally relate to alleged violations of existing permits and licenses or alleged responsibility under federal or state Superfund laws to remediate contamination at properties owned either by PSC Environmental or by other parties to which either PSC Environmental or the prior owners of certain of its facilities shipped wastes. From time to time, PSC Environmental may be subject to fines or penalties in regulatory proceedings relating primarily to waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities. We believe that the fines or other penalties that PSC Environmental may pay in connection with any pending regulatory proceedings of this nature will not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to our financial statements. On February 29, 2016, we entered into a statute of limitations tolling agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah relating to that Office’s investigation of the same facts underlying the notice of violation (the "NOV") issued by the State of Utah Division of Air Quality (the "DAQ") that resulted in our December 2014 settlement with the DAQ that we have previously disclosed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating whether the matters forming the basis of the NOV constitute violations of the Clean Air Act and other federal statutes. Under the tolling agreement, the period from March 1, 2016 through July 31, 2016 will be excluded from any calculation of time for the purpose of determining the statute of limitations concerning any charges that we violated federal statutes. The agreement does not constitute an admission of guilt or wrongdoing on our part and cannot be construed as a waiver of any other rights or defenses that we may have in any resulting action or proceeding. We will continue to cooperate with the investigation.

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DA

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)	SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) The following table summarizes our unaudited consolidated quarterly results of operations as reported for 2015 and 2014 : In thousands, except per share data First Second Third Fourth Year Revenues $ 663,319 $ 715,689 $ 718,596 $ 888,304 $ 2,985,908 Gross profit 281,331 304,824 299,675 380,355 1,266,185 Acquisition expenses (3,296 ) (2,986 ) (33,674 ) 818 (39,138 ) Integration expenses (8,886 ) (8,924 ) (13,447 ) (20,432 ) (51,689 ) Change in fair value of contingent consideration 675 (35 ) — — 640 Impairment of intangible assets — — — (1,781 ) (1,781 ) Restructuring and plant conversion expenses (12,302 ) (3,058 ) (2,721 ) (4,667 ) (22,748 ) Litigation expenses (2,123 ) (44,827 ) (12,056 ) (645 ) (59,651 ) Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. 75,458 60,449 52,263 78,876 267,046 Mandatory convertible preferred stock — — — (10,106 ) (10,106 ) Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders 75,458 60,449 52,263 68,770 256,940 * Basic earnings per common share $ 0.89 $ 0.71 $ 0.62 $ 0.81 $ 3.02 * Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.87 $ 0.70 $ 0.60 $ 0.80 $ 2.98 In thousands, except per share data First Second Third Fourth Year Revenues $ 569,955 $ 640,822 $ 667,877 $ 676,947 $ 2,555,601 Gross profit 255,469 275,304 278,669 284,969 1,094,411 Acquisition expenses (3,221 ) (3,979 ) (3,472 ) (2,661 ) (13,333 ) Integration expenses (2,485 ) (4,679 ) (7,461 ) (11,343 ) (25,968 ) Change in fair value of contingent consideration (4,789 ) 836 — 5,405 1,452 Restructuring and plant conversion expenses (574 ) (1,115 ) (2,380 ) (10,495 ) (14,564 ) Litigation expenses (1,505 ) (396 ) (1,342 ) (3,331 ) (6,574 ) Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. 79,149 81,936 82,845 82,526 326,456 * Basic earnings per common share $ 0.93 $ 0.97 $ 0.98 $ 0.97 $ 3.84 * Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.91 $ 0.95 $ 0.96 $ 0.96 $ 3.79 * EPS calculated on a quarterly basis, and, as such, the amounts may not total the calculated full-year EPS.

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUA

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES SCHEDULE II—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS In thousands Allowance for doubtful accounts Balance Beginning of Period Charges to Expenses Other Charges/ (Reversals) (1) Write-offs/ Payments Balance End of Period 2013 $ 19,443 $ 4,823 $ 322 $ (5,454 ) $ 19,134 2014 $ 19,134 $ 9,869 $ 842 $ (10,762 ) $ 19,083 2015 $ 19,083 $ 13,650 $ 3,054 $ (13,458 ) $ 22,329 (1) Amounts consist primarily of valuation allowances assumed from acquired companies and currency translation adjustments. In thousands Valuation Allowance on Deferred Tax Assets Balance Beginning of Period Additions/ (Deductions) Charged to/ (from) Income Tax Expense Other Changes to Reserves (2) Balance End of Period 2013 $ 3,340 $ (1,451 ) $ (767 ) $ 1,122 2014 $ 1,122 $ — $ (1,066 ) $ 56 2015 $ 56 $ 13 $ 17,516 $ 17,585 (2) Amounts consist primarily of valuation allowances on acquired deferred tax assets from business combinations.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUN30

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stericycle, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition: Revenues for our regulated medical waste management services, other than our compliances services, and secure information destruction services are recognized at the time of waste collection. Our compliance service revenues are recognized evenly over the contractual service period. Payments received in advance are deferred and recognized as services are provided. Revenues from hazardous waste services are recorded at the time waste is received at our processing facility. Revenues from regulated recall and returns management services and communication solutions are recorded at the time services are performed. Revenues from product sales are recognized at the time the goods are shipped to the ordering customer. Charges related to sales taxes and international value added tax ("VAT") and other similar pass through taxes are not included as revenue.
Acquisition Accounting	Acquisition Accounting: Acquisition accounting requires us to recognize assets and liabilities at their fair value. The process of determining fair value requires time to complete, therefore we will make some estimates at the time of acquisition. These estimates are primarily for amortizable intangibles and, if appropriate, an associated deferred tax liability. These estimates are based on historical experience and allow us to recognize amortization expense until the final valuation is complete.
Goodwill and Identifiable Intangibles	Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets: Goodwill associated with the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is not amortized, but is subject to an annual impairment test. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, we evaluate on at least an annual basis, using the fair value of reporting units, whether goodwill is impaired. If we were to determine that a significant impairment has occurred, we would be required to incur non-cash charges of the impaired portion of goodwill that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the impairment charge occurs. During the quarter ended June 30, 2015, we performed our annual goodwill impairment evaluation for our three reporting units, Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services, Domestic Regulated Recall and Returns Management Services, and International Regulated and Compliance Services. We calculate the fair value of our reporting units using an income method and validate those results using a market approach. Both the income and market approaches indicated no impairment to goodwill in any of our three reporting units. See Note 11 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about goodwill and the annual impairment test. We have determined that our permits have indefinite lives due to our ability to renew these permits with minimal additional cost, and therefore they are not amortized. We also have a tradename that we have determined has an indefinite life. Our indefinite lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually at December 31, or more frequently, if circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. We use a qualitative assessment, as provided for under the FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other , to determine if is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. If there is an indication of impairment, we test the recoverability of the asset using either a discounted income or cost savings model to calculate fair value. The calculated fair value is based upon, among other things, certain assumptions about expected future operating performance, internal and external processing costs, and an appropriate discount rate determined by management. Our estimates of discounted income may differ from actual income due to, among other things, inaccuracies in economic estimates. See Note 11 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about indefinite lived intangible assets. Our finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives using straight-line method. We have determined that our customer relationships have useful lives from 10 to 40 years based upon the type of customer, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 19.2 years. We have covenants not-to-compete intangibles with useful lives from 5 to 14 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 3.7 years. We have tradename intangibles with useful lives from 15 to 40 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 17.2 years. Other intangibles mainly consist of landfill air rights with a weighted average remaining useful life of 19.1 years. These assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may be less than its undiscounted estimated future cash flows. See Note 11 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about our intangible assets other than goodwill.
Valuation of Intangibles	Valuation of Intangibles: Valuation of our intangible assets other than goodwill is derived using a discounted income and cost savings approach. Financial information such as revenues, costs, assets and liabilities, and other assumptions related to the intangible asset are input into a standard valuation model to determine a stream of income attributable to that intangible. The income stream is then discounted to the present to arrive at a valuation. We perform annual impairment tests on our indefinite lived intangible assets. Our customer relationship valuation model, using the multi-period excess earnings method, assumes straight-line revenue loss. The calculation of determining a revenue loss rate starts with a base-line revenue point and then tracks revenue by customer, assuming no further revenue growth, to a point of zero revenues. A calculation of base-line revenue to zero revenue determines the useful life of customer relationships. Determining an accurate consumption of benefits from acquired customer relationships cannot be reliably determined because the services we provide to acquired customers changes from the base-line revenues over an extended period of time due to factors such as volume increase, price increase, and complementary service offerings. Therefore we amortize our finite-lived intangible assets using the straight-line method consistent with our valuation model.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes: We are subject to income taxes in both the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. We compute our provision for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. Significant judgments are required in order to determine the realizability of these deferred tax assets. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we evaluate all significant available positive and negative evidence, including historical operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the existence of prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. Changes in the expectations regarding the realization of deferred tax assets could materially impact income tax expense in future periods. Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries are considered permanently reinvested, and therefore no deferred taxes are recorded thereon. To provide for uncertain tax positions, we maintain a reserve for tax benefits assumed that do not meet a threshold of "more likely than not" to be sustained. Management believes the amount provided for uncertain tax positions is adequate.
Accounts Receivable	Accounts Receivable: Accounts receivable consist of amounts due to us from our normal business activities and are carried at their estimated collectible amounts. Our accounts receivable balance includes amounts related to VAT and similar international pass-through taxes. We do not require collateral as part of our standard trade credit policy. Accounts receivable balances are determined to be past due when the amount is overdue based on the contractual terms with the customer. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect the expected uncollectability of accounts receivable based on past collection history and specific risks identified among uncollected accounts. Accounts receivable are written off against the allowance for doubtful accounts when we have determined that the receivable will not be collected and/or when the account has been referred to a third party collection agency. No single customer accounts for more than approximately 1.5% of our accounts receivable. Bad debt expense was $13.7 million , $9.9 million and $4.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 , respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation: We issue stock options and restricted stock units ("RSU") to employees and directors as an integral part of our compensation programs. Stock options cost is measured at the grant date using the Black-Scholes model and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. Determining the fair value of stock options at the grant date requires estimating the expected volatility of our stock, the expected term of the award, and the risk-free rate. Our stock’s expected volatility and the expected term of the awards are based upon historical experience. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based upon the U.S. Treasury yield rates of a comparable period. The fair value of RSU is based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant and is amortized to expense over the service period. If factors change and we employ different assumptions, stock-based compensation expense may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the past.
Litigation	Litigation: We operate in a highly regulated industry and deal with regulatory inquiries or investigations from time to time that may be instituted for a variety of reasons. We are also involved in a variety of civil litigation from time to time. Liabilities from litigation are accrued when known, probable and estimable.
Share Repurchases	Share Repurchases: Purchase price over par value for share repurchases are allocated to retained earnings.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments: We consider all highly liquid investments with a maturity of less than three months when purchased to be cash equivalents. Short-term investments consist of certificates of deposit which mature in less than one year.
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Plant and Equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization, which include the depreciation of assets recorded under capital leases, are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: Building and improvements 5 to 50 years Machinery and equipment 2 to 30 years Containers 2 to 20 years Vehicles 2 to 10 years Office equipment and furniture 2 to 20 years Software 2 to 15 years Our containers have a weighted average remaining useful life of 12.5 years.
Environmental Remediation Liabilities	Environmental Remediation Liabilities: We record a liability for environmental remediation when such liability becomes probable and the costs or damages can be reasonably estimated. We accrue environmental remediation costs, on an undiscounted basis, associated with identified sites where an assessment has indicated that cleanup costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated, but the timing of such payments is not fixed and determinable. Such accruals are based on currently available information, estimated timing of remedial actions, existing technology, and enacted laws and regulations.
Insurance	Insurance: Our insurance for workers’ compensation, vehicle liability and physical damage, and employee-related health care benefits is obtained using high deductible insurance policies. A third-party administrator is used to process all such claims. We require all workers’ compensation, vehicle liability and physical damage claims to be reported within 24 hours. As a result, we accrue our workers’ compensation, vehicle and physical damage liability based upon the claim reserves established by the third-party administrator at the end of each reporting period. Our employee health insurance benefit liability is based on our historical claims experience rate. Our earnings would be impacted to the extent that actual claims vary from historical experience. We review our accruals associated with the exposure to these liabilities for adequacy at the end of each reporting period.
Financial Instruments	Financial Instruments: Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable and payable, derivatives, and long-term debt. At December 31, 2015 , the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated at $3.22 billion , compared to a carrying amount of $3.21 billion . This fair value was estimated using market interest rates for comparable instruments. The Company has no current plans to retire a significant amount of its debt prior to maturity. Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of accounts receivable. Credit risk on trade receivables is minimized as a result of the large size of our customer base. No single customer represents greater than approximately 1.5% of total accounts receivable. We perform ongoing credit evaluation of our customers and maintain allowances for potential credit losses. For any contracts in loss positions, losses are recorded when probable and estimable. These losses, when incurred, have been within the range of our expectations.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Some areas where we make estimates include allowance for doubtful accounts, credit memo reserve, accrued employee health and welfare benefits, stock compensation expense, income tax liabilities, accrued auto and workers’ compensation insurance claims, and intangible asset valuations. Such estimates are based on historical trends and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from our estimates. Future estimated expenses may fluctuate depending on changes in foreign currency rates. The estimates for payments due on long-term debt, lease payments under capital leases, accrued liabilities, contingent consideration liabilities, intangible assets amortization expense, and rental payments are based upon foreign exchange rates at December 31, 2015 .
Foreign Currency Translation	Foreign Currency Translation: Assets and liabilities of foreign affiliates that use the local currency as their functional currency are translated at the exchange rate on the last day of the accounting period, and income statement accounts are translated at the average rates during the period. Related translation adjustments are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in Stericycle, Inc.'s equity.
New Accounting Standards	New Accounting Standards: Accounting Standards Recently Adopted Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity On January 1, 2015, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity," guidance on the presentation and disclosures of reporting discontinued operations. The new guidance defines a discontinued operation as a disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and "represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results." For disposals of individually significant components that do not qualify as discontinued operations, an entity must disclose pre-tax earnings of the disposed component. The Company has not disposed of a component of our entity and therefore the implementation of this guidance did not affect our financial position, results of operations, or disclosure requirements. Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments As of December 31, 2015, we early adopted ASU No. 2015-16, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments," guidance that eliminates the requirement that an acquirer in a business combination account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer will recognize measurement-period adjustments during the period in which it determines the amount of the adjustment. The implementation of this guidance did not materially impact our financial statements. Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes As of December 31, 2015, we early adopted ASU No. 2015-17, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes," guidance that requires companies to classify all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent on the balance sheet instead of separating deferred taxes into current and noncurrent amounts. At December 31, 2014, we have reclassified $28.3 million of current deferred tax assets to noncurrent deferred tax liabilities to conform to the current period balance sheet presentation. Other than the change in balance sheet presentation, there were no other impacts. Accounting in the Cloud As of December 31, 2015, we adopted ASU No. 2015-05, "Intangible - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtotal 350-40): Customer's Accounting Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement," guidance to determine whether customers in a cloud computing arrangement should account for a contract as a software license or as a service contract. The guidance applies only to internal-use software to which a customer obtains access in a hosting arrangement. The standard will be effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. We have evaluated our contracts and determined that our cloud computing arrangements do not include a software license criteria and therefore are properly treated as service contracts. Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted Interest-Imputation of Interest In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, "Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs," guidance that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability rather than as an asset. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the accounting standard update. The standard will be effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The revised standard will be adopted by the Company on January 1, 2016, will be applied retrospectively and will require reclassifications within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and statements of cash flows. The revised standard only affects presentation and therefore will not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations. Revenue From Contracts With Customers In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606), guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue guidance contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The amended authoritative guidance associated with revenue recognition is effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The amended guidance may be applied retrospectively for all periods presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the amended guidance recognized at the date of initial application. We are in the process of assessing the provisions of the new revenue recognition standard and have not determined whether the adoption will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUN31

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Estimated Useful Lives of Assets	Depreciation and amortization, which include the depreciation of assets recorded under capital leases, are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: Building and improvements 5 to 50 years Machinery and equipment 2 to 30 years Containers 2 to 20 years Vehicles 2 to 10 years Office equipment and furniture 2 to 20 years Software 2 to 15 years

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Summary of Location of Acquisitions	The following table summarizes the locations of our acquisitions for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : Acquisition Locations 2015 2014 2013 United States 19 17 13 Argentina — 2 3 Brazil 2 3 2 Canada 2 2 3 Chile — 3 1 Ireland 1 — — Japan — 2 3 Mexico 3 — 1 Netherlands 2 — — Portugal — 5 2 Romania 4 3 6 Republic of Korea 6 1 — Spain 4 3 3 United Kingdom — 3 12 Total 43 44 49
Aggregate Purchase Price Paid for Acquisitions and Other Adjustments to Consideration	The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase price paid for acquisitions and other adjustments of consideration to be paid for acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Cash $ 2,419,437 $ 374,321 $ 161,936 Promissory notes 64,072 125,229 64,581 Deferred consideration 3,172 3,535 31,149 Contingent consideration 12,945 17,174 4,371 Total purchase price $ 2,499,626 $ 520,259 $ 262,037
Purchase Price Allocation	The following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation for current period acquisitions and other adjustments to purchase price allocations during the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Fixed assets $ 198,145 $ 98,916 $ 15,582 Intangibles 1,052,016 276,798 92,398 Goodwill 1,422,673 235,597 179,795 Accounts receivable 135,800 68,019 19,920 Net other assets/ (liabilities) 18,133 (11,702 ) 3,260 Environmental remediation liabilities — (32,383 ) — Current liabilities (91,522 ) (67,334 ) (23,200 ) Debt (4,966 ) (22,102 ) (7,512 ) Net deferred tax liabilities (230,653 ) (18,769 ) (13,995 ) Noncontrolling interests — (6,781 ) (4,211 ) Total purchase price allocation $ 2,499,626 $ 520,259 $ 262,037 The following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation by major asset acquired and liability assumed, as well as the amount of goodwill recognized for Shred-it acquisition and in aggregate for all other 2015 acquisitions: In thousands Shred-it Acquisition Other Acquisitions Total Fixed assets $ 174,250 $ 23,895 $ 198,145 Intangibles 955,000 97,016 1,052,016 Goodwill 1,333,046 89,627 1,422,673 Accounts receivable 117,541 18,259 135,800 Net other assets/ (liabilities) 16,738 1,395 18,133 Current liabilities (72,178 ) (19,344 ) (91,522 ) Debt — (4,966 ) (4,966 ) Net deferred tax liabilities (220,505 ) (10,148 ) (230,653 ) Total purchase price allocation $ 2,303,892 $ 195,734 $ 2,499,626
Pro Forma Information	The following consolidated pro forma information on the impact of the 2015 acquisitions to our consolidated revenues and net income is based on the assumption that these acquisitions all occurred on January 1, 2014: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 Revenues $ 3,569,490 $ 3,397,646 Net income 307,994 375,339

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Tables

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	In thousands Fair Value Measurements Using Total as of Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 55,634 $ 55,634 $ — $ — Short-term investments 69 69 — — Derivative financial instruments 1,207 — 1,207 — Total assets $ 56,910 $ 55,703 $ 1,207 $ — Liabilities: Contingent considerations $ 25,390 $ — $ — $ 25,390 Derivative financial instruments — — — — Total liabilities $ 25,390 $ — $ — $ 25,390 In thousands Fair Value Measurements Using Total as of Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,236 $ 22,236 $ — $ — Short-term investments 380 380 — — Derivative financial instruments 515 — 515 — Total assets $ 23,131 $ 22,616 $ 515 $ — Liabilities: Contingent considerations $ 19,941 $ — $ — $ 19,941 Derivative financial instruments 2,408 — 2,408 — Total liabilities $ 22,349 $ — $ 2,408 $ 19,941
Changes to Contingent Consideration	Changes to contingent consideration are reflected in the table below: In thousands Contingent consideration at January 1, 2015 $ 19,941 Increases due to acquisitions 12,945 Decrease due to payments (1,853 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (5,003 ) Changes in fair value reflected in Selling, general, and administrative expenses (640 ) Contingent consideration at December 31, 2015 $ 25,390

INCOME TAXES (Tables)

INCOME TAXES (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
United States and International Components of Income Before Income Taxes	The U.S. and International components of income before income taxes consisted of the following for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands 2015 2014 2013 United States $ 378,815 $ 441,029 $ 407,315 Foreign 32,092 46,539 70,431 Total income before income taxes $ 410,907 $ 487,568 $ 477,746
Significant Components of Income Tax Expense	Significant components of our income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 are as follows: In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Current United States - federal $ 105,941 $ 118,217 $ 103,751 United States - state and local 15,544 13,023 11,683 Foreign 16,512 14,930 24,486 137,997 146,170 139,920 Deferred United States - federal 23,762 29,730 31,808 United States - state and local 2,504 948 5,510 Foreign (21,369 ) (15,339 ) (10,246 ) Foreign - changes in statutory rates — (2,087 ) (2,330 ) 4,897 13,252 24,742 Total provision $ 142,894 $ 159,422 $ 164,662
Reconciliation of Income Tax Provision Computed at Federal Statutory Rate to Effective Tax Rate	A reconciliation of the income tax provision computed at the federal statutory rate to the effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 are as follows: 2015 2014 2013 Federal statutory income tax rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % Effect of: State and local taxes, net of federal tax effect 3.1 % 1.9 % 2.3 % Foreign tax rates (0.4 )% (0.5 )% (0.8 )% Change in deferred tax assets from an increase in tax basis of foreign assets (2.2 )% (1.8 )% — % Other (0.7 )% (1.9 )% (2.0 )% Effective tax rate 34.8 % 32.7 % 34.5 %
Deferred Tax Liabilities and Assets	Our deferred tax liabilities and assets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 were as follows: In thousands 2015 2014 Deferred tax liabilities: Property, plant and equipment $ (44,914 ) $ (41,071 ) Goodwill and intangibles (719,789 ) (453,854 ) Other (5,747 ) — Total deferred tax liabilities (770,450 ) (494,925 ) Deferred tax assets: Accrued liabilities 69,895 32,664 Stock based compensation 74,794 21,139 Other — 17,922 Net operating tax loss carry-forwards 37,976 20,017 Less: valuation allowance (17,585 ) (56 ) Total deferred tax assets 165,080 91,686 Net deferred tax liabilities $ (605,370 ) $ (403,239 )
Changes in Unrecognized Tax Positions	The following table summarizes the changes in unrecognized tax positions during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 : In thousands Unrecognized tax positions, January 1, 2014 $ 14,910 Gross increases—tax positions in prior periods 200 Gross decreases—tax positions in prior periods (762 ) Gross increases—current period tax positions 3,081 Settlement (1,165 ) Lapse of statute of limitations (1,169 ) Unrecognized tax positions, December 31, 2014 $ 15,095 Gross increases—tax positions in prior periods 7,239 Gross decreases—tax positions in prior periods (793 ) Gross increases—current period tax positions 5,976 Settlement (200 ) Lapse of statute of limitations (2,375 ) Unrecognized tax positions, December 31, 2015 $ 24,942

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION (Table

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation Expense Resulting from Stock Option Awards, Restricted stock units ("RSU") and ESPP	The following table presents the total stock-based compensation expense resulting from stock option awards, restricted stock units ("RSUs"), and the ESPP included in the Consolidated Statements of Income: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Cost of revenues - stock option plan $ 92 $ 52 $ 120 Selling, general and administrative - stock option plan 18,541 15,214 15,212 Selling, general and administrative - RSUs 1,484 1,267 1,116 Selling, general and administrative - ESPP 1,633 1,240 1,009 Total pre-tax expense $ 21,750 $ 17,773 $ 17,457
Tax Benefits Related to Stock Compensation	The following table sets forth the tax benefits related to stock compensation: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Tax benefit recognized in Statements of Income $ 5,567 $ 4,849 $ 4,518 Excess tax benefit realized 16,897 17,906 17,153
Stock Option Activity	Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2015 , is summarized as follows: Number of Weighted Outstanding at beginning of year 5,377,857 $ 80.88 Granted 1,056,490 130.56 Exercised (906,104 ) 66.93 Forfeited (188,927 ) 111.07 Canceled or expired (4,513 ) 84.52 Outstanding at December 31, 2015 5,334,803 92.02 Exercisable at December 31, 2015 2,747,266 73.22 Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2015 5,135,286 91.00
Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised	The following table sets forth the total intrinsic value of options exercised for the years ended December 31: In thousands 2015 2014 2013 Total exercise intrinsic value of options exercised $ 62,625 $ 65,884 $ 55,757
Information Related to Outstanding and Exercisable Options	The following table sets forth the information related to outstanding and exercisable options for the years ended December 31: 2015 2014 2013 Weighted average remaining contractual life of outstanding options (in years) 5.70 6.10 6.60 Total aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding options (in thousands) $ 162,400 $ 269,900 $ 254,200 Weighted average remaining contractual life of exercisable options (in years) 4.70 5.10 5.30 Total aggregate intrinsic value of exercisable options (in thousands) $ 130,600 $ 178,300 $ 161,100
Options Outstanding and Exercisable by Price Range	Options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2015 by price range are presented below: Options Outstanding Options Exercisable Range of Exercise Price Shares Outstanding Average Remaining Life in Years Weighted Average Exercise Price Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price $29.54 - $51.55 912,043 3.15 $ 47.61 912,043 $ 47.61 $52.05 - $85.00 956,708 4.22 72.90 817,286 70.84 $85.02 - $85.76 10,650 6.25 85.40 5,750 85.37 $86.24 - $86.24 604,758 6.09 86.24 302,334 86.24 $86.83 - $95.03 142,097 6.02 89.83 110,895 89.11 $95.87 - $95.87 781,470 7.12 95.87 299,599 95.87 $95.92 - $115.51 162,252 7.25 110.41 102,739 109.94 $115.69 - $115.69 732,411 6.14 115.69 147,361 115.69 $115.82 - $130.11 128,583 7.68 122.59 15,954 117.80 $130.19 - $141.56 903,831 7.33 131.20 33,305 133.49 $29.54 - $141.56 5,334,803 5.70 $ 92.02 2,747,266 $ 73.22
Assumptions used in Black-Scholes Model	The estimated fair value of stock options at the time of the grant using the Black-Scholes model option pricing model was as follows: Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Stock options granted (shares) 1,056,490 981,583 1,057,630 Weighted average fair value at grant date $ 22.90 $ 21.31 $ 22.02 Assumptions: Expected term (in years) 4.79 4.76 5.81 Expected volatility 16.71 % 17.23 % 27.03 % Expected dividend yield — % — % — % Risk free interest rate 1.47 % 1.53 % 1.00 %
Information Related to RSUs	The following table sets forth the information related to RSUs for the years ended December 31: 2015 2014 2013 Total aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding units (in thousands) $ 8,441 $ 8,337 $ 8,185 Per share fair value of units granted 114.27 115.67 96.40
Restricted Stock Units Activity	A summary of the status of our non-vested RSUs and changes during the year ended December 31, 2015 , are as follows: Number of Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Non-vested at beginning of year 63,600 $ 96.04 Granted 12,124 114.27 Forfeited (4,273 ) 101.20 Non-vested at December 31, 2015 71,451 101.29

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE (Tabl

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Common Share	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share: Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Numerator: Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. $ 267,046 $ 326,456 $ 311,372 Less: mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend 10,106 — — Numerator for basic earnings per share attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders 256,940 326,456 311,372 Denominator: Denominator for basic earnings per share-weighted average shares 84,944,841 84,932,792 85,902,550 Effect of diluted securities: Employee stock options 1,217,768 1,300,820 1,489,438 Mandatory convertible preferred stock (1) — — — Denominator for diluted earnings per share-adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises 86,162,609 86,233,612 87,391,988 Earnings per share – Basic $ 3.02 $ 3.84 $ 3.62 Earnings per share – Diluted $ 2.98 $ 3.79 $ 3.56 (1) In 2015, the weighted average common shares issuable upon the assumed conversion of the mandatory convertible preferred stock totaling 1,648,318 shares were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as such conversion would have been anti-dilutive.

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI37

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Components of Total Comprehensive Income	The following table sets forth the changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive income for 2015 , 2014 and 2013 : In thousands Currency Translation Adjustments Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/ (Loss) Beginning balance at January 1, 2013 $ (37,292 ) $ (1,772 ) $ (39,064 ) Period change (17,718 ) 314 (17,404 ) Ending balance at December 31, 2013 $ (55,010 ) $ (1,458 ) $ (56,468 ) Period change (80,221 ) (1,730 ) (81,951 ) Ending balance at December 31, 2014 $ (135,231 ) $ (3,188 ) $ (138,419 ) Period change (140,809 ) (3,403 ) (144,212 ) Ending balance at December 31, 2015 $ (276,040 ) $ (6,591 ) $ (282,631 )

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, plant and equipment at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following items: In thousands 2015 2014 Land and improvements $ 65,621 $ 63,600 Building and improvements 166,874 142,680 Machinery and equipment 314,252 250,684 Vehicles 136,379 56,650 Containers 190,454 155,238 Office equipment and furniture 117,632 80,158 Software 46,979 40,291 Construction in progress 53,430 35,231 Total property, plant & equipment 1,091,621 824,532 Less: accumulated depreciation (426,019 ) (364,124 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 665,602 $ 460,408

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE39

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill	The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill since January 1, 2014, by reportable segment, were as follows: In thousands United States International Total Balance at January 1, 2014 $ 1,673,810 $ 557,772 $ 2,231,582 Goodwill acquired during year 169,754 88,263 258,017 Purchase accounting allocation adjustments (4,825 ) (17,595 ) (22,420 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations — (48,347 ) (48,347 ) Balance at December 31, 2014 1,838,739 580,093 2,418,832 Goodwill acquired during year 1,177,431 273,519 1,450,950 Purchase accounting allocation adjustments (43,895 ) 15,618 (28,277 ) Goodwill other changes — (440 ) (440 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations — (82,888 ) (82,888 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ 2,972,275 $ 785,902 $ 3,758,177
Values of Intangible Assets	At December 31, 2015 and 2014 , the values of other intangible assets were as follows: In thousands 2015 2014 Gross Accumulated Net Gross Accumulated Net Amortizable intangibles: Customer relationships $ 1,304,388 $ 144,020 $ 1,160,368 $ 755,148 $ 107,365 $ 647,783 Covenants not-to-compete 6,878 5,141 1,737 8,474 5,688 2,786 Tradenames 3,819 948 2,871 6,062 1,313 4,749 Other 18,902 916 17,986 1,150 556 594 Indefinite lived intangibles: Operating permits 233,101 — 233,101 247,933 — 247,933 Tradenames 426,498 — 426,498 5,800 — 5,800 Total $ 1,993,586 $ 151,025 $ 1,842,561 $ 1,024,567 $ 114,922 $ 909,645
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets	The changes in the carrying amount of intangible assets since January 1, 2014 were as follows: In thousands Total Balance as of January 1, 2014 $ 720,035 Intangible assets acquired during the year 277,041 Impairments during the year (9,863 ) Amortization during the year (32,692 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (44,876 ) Balance as of December 31, 2014 909,645 Intangible assets acquired during the year 1,052,016 Impairments during the year (4,177 ) Amortization during the year (45,498 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (69,425 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ 1,842,561
Schedule of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets	The changes in the carrying amount of intangible assets since January 1, 2014 were as follows: In thousands Total Balance as of January 1, 2014 $ 720,035 Intangible assets acquired during the year 277,041 Impairments during the year (9,863 ) Amortization during the year (32,692 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (44,876 ) Balance as of December 31, 2014 909,645 Intangible assets acquired during the year 1,052,016 Impairments during the year (4,177 ) Amortization during the year (45,498 ) Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations (69,425 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ 1,842,561
Estimated Amortization Expense	The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years, assuming no additional amortizable intangible assets, is as follows for the years ended December 31: In thousands 2016 $ 72,174 2017 71,507 2018 71,459 2019 71,302 2020 71,012

ACCRUED LIABILITIES (Tables)

ACCRUED LIABILITIES (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued Liabilities	Accrued liabilities at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following items: In thousands 2015 2014 Accrued compensation $ 62,721 $ 37,932 Accrued insurance 43,390 40,387 Accrued taxes 27,363 17,847 Accrued interest 13,829 9,096 Accrued professional services liabilities 6,948 3,703 Accrued liabilities - other 43,078 22,778 Total accrued liabilities $ 197,329 $ 131,743

DEBT (Tables)

DEBT (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Long-term debt consisted of the following at December 31: In thousands 2015 2014 Obligations under capital leases $ 15,024 $ 9,185 $1.20 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.54%, due in 2019 353,763 459,975 $1.25 billion term loan weighted average rate 1.71%, due in 2020 1,250,000 — $100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015 — 100,000 $175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017 175,000 175,000 $125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019 125,000 125,000 $225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020 225,000 225,000 $150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021 150,000 — $125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022 125,000 125,000 $200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022 200,000 — $100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023 100,000 — $150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023 150,000 — Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 2.54% and weighted average maturity of 3.4 years 239,731 279,590 Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 2.1 years 105,530 160,465 Total debt 3,214,048 1,659,215 Less: current portion of total debt 161,409 131,969 Long-term portion of total debt $ 3,052,639 $ 1,527,246
Payments due on Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Lease Obligations	Payments due on long-term debt, excluding capital lease obligations, during each of the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 are as follows: In thousands 2016 $ 157,227 2017 345,342 2018 215,549 2019 862,803 2020 875,159 Thereafter 742,944 $ 3,199,024
Property under Capital Leases Included with Property, Plant and Equipment	Property under capital leases included with property, plant and equipment in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is as follows at December 31: In thousands 2015 2014 Land $ 157 $ 174 Buildings 804 896 Machinery and equipment 6,105 1,230 Vehicles 15,925 13,108 Less: accumulated depreciation (7,148 ) (5,375 ) $ 15,843 $ 10,033
Minimum Future Lease Payments Under Capital Leases	Minimum future lease payments under capital leases are as follows: In thousands 2016 $ 4,622 2017 5,364 2018 2,041 2019 2,226 2020 1,557 Thereafter 419 Total minimum lease payments 16,229 Less: amounts representing interest (1,205 ) Present value of net minimum lease payments 15,024 Less: current portion included in other current liabilities (4,182 ) Long-term obligations under capital leases $ 10,842

LEASE COMMITMENTS (Tables)

LEASE COMMITMENTS (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Leases [Abstract]
Minimum Future Rental Payments under Non-Cancelable Operating Leases	Minimum future rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases that have initial or remaining terms in excess of one year at December 31, 2015 for each of the next five years and in the aggregate are as follows: In thousands 2016 $ 104,958 2017 89,284 2018 71,264 2019 52,923 2020 34,078 Thereafter 47,168 $ 399,675

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEO43

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Summary Information for Reportable Segments	Summary information for our reportable segments is as follows: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Revenues: United States $ 2,165,030 $ 1,788,390 $ 1,498,347 International: Europe 441,231 407,082 341,387 Other international countries 379,647 360,129 303,073 Total International 820,878 767,211 644,460 Total $ 2,985,908 $ 2,555,601 $ 2,142,807 Income before income taxes: United States $ 382,692 $ 436,958 $ 405,403 International 28,215 50,610 72,343 Total $ 410,907 $ 487,568 $ 477,746 Total assets: United States $ 5,173,779 $ 2,916,296 $ 2,557,224 International 1,903,671 1,457,006 1,330,749 Total $ 7,077,450 $ 4,373,302 $ 3,887,973 Property, Plant and Equipment, net: United States $ 434,202 $ 284,788 $ 212,518 International: Europe 95,771 70,621 74,915 Other international countries 135,629 104,999 71,534 Total International 231,400 175,620 146,449 Total $ 665,602 $ 460,408 $ 358,967
Detailed Information for Reportable Segment	Detailed information for our United States reportable segment is as follows: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Regulated and compliance solutions $ 2,062,204 $ 1,707,031 $ 1,400,572 Recall and returns solutions 102,826 81,359 97,775 Total revenues $ 2,165,030 $ 1,788,390 $ 1,498,347 Net interest expense 51,680 44,850 43,012 Income before income taxes 382,692 436,958 405,403 Income taxes 145,815 161,497 152,753 Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. $ 236,877 $ 275,461 $ 252,650 Depreciation and amortization $ 78,587 $ 59,389 $ 49,725 Capital expenditures 53,495 56,507 42,760 Detailed information for our International reportable segment is as follows: In thousands Years Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 Revenues - Regulated and compliance solutions $ 820,878 $ 767,211 $ 644,460 Net interest expense 25,594 21,172 11,937 Income before income taxes 28,215 50,610 72,343 Income taxes (2,921 ) (2,075 ) 11,909 Net income 31,136 52,685 60,434 Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 967 1,690 1,712 Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. $ 30,169 $ 50,995 $ 58,722 Depreciation and amortization $ 48,825 $ 45,227 $ 38,683 Capital expenditures 61,266 29,989 30,349

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Tables)

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring Charges	The following table below highlights $19.1 million of pre-tax restructuring charges by reporting segment for the year ended December 31, 2015, which are reflected as part of SG&A on our Consolidated Statements of Income: In thousands Year Ended December 31, 2015 United States International Total Charges to Income Employee severance and related costs $ 4,284 $ 4,275 $ 8,559 Other costs 2,963 1,494 4,457 Non-cash items: Fixed assets impairment 3,133 70 3,203 Intangible assets impairment 2,167 247 2,414 Other — 445 445 Total pre-tax restructuring expenses $ 12,547 $ 6,531 $ 19,078
Restructuring Reserve	The following table summarizes restructuring activity during 2015 which is reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as part of "Accrued liabilities:" In thousands Employee Severance and Related Costs Other Costs Total Liability balance at January 1, 2015 $ — $ — $ — Charges to income 8,559 4,457 13,016 Payments (7,469 ) (2,891 ) (10,360 ) Other 14 — 14 Liability balance at December 31, 2015 $ 1,104 $ 1,566 $ 2,670

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL 45

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Unaudited Consolidated Quarterly Results of Operations	The following table summarizes our unaudited consolidated quarterly results of operations as reported for 2015 and 2014 : In thousands, except per share data First Second Third Fourth Year Revenues $ 663,319 $ 715,689 $ 718,596 $ 888,304 $ 2,985,908 Gross profit 281,331 304,824 299,675 380,355 1,266,185 Acquisition expenses (3,296 ) (2,986 ) (33,674 ) 818 (39,138 ) Integration expenses (8,886 ) (8,924 ) (13,447 ) (20,432 ) (51,689 ) Change in fair value of contingent consideration 675 (35 ) — — 640 Impairment of intangible assets — — — (1,781 ) (1,781 ) Restructuring and plant conversion expenses (12,302 ) (3,058 ) (2,721 ) (4,667 ) (22,748 ) Litigation expenses (2,123 ) (44,827 ) (12,056 ) (645 ) (59,651 ) Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. 75,458 60,449 52,263 78,876 267,046 Mandatory convertible preferred stock — — — (10,106 ) (10,106 ) Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders 75,458 60,449 52,263 68,770 256,940 * Basic earnings per common share $ 0.89 $ 0.71 $ 0.62 $ 0.81 $ 3.02 * Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.87 $ 0.70 $ 0.60 $ 0.80 $ 2.98 In thousands, except per share data First Second Third Fourth Year Revenues $ 569,955 $ 640,822 $ 667,877 $ 676,947 $ 2,555,601 Gross profit 255,469 275,304 278,669 284,969 1,094,411 Acquisition expenses (3,221 ) (3,979 ) (3,472 ) (2,661 ) (13,333 ) Integration expenses (2,485 ) (4,679 ) (7,461 ) (11,343 ) (25,968 ) Change in fair value of contingent consideration (4,789 ) 836 — 5,405 1,452 Restructuring and plant conversion expenses (574 ) (1,115 ) (2,380 ) (10,495 ) (14,564 ) Litigation expenses (1,505 ) (396 ) (1,342 ) (3,331 ) (6,574 ) Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. 79,149 81,936 82,845 82,526 326,456 * Basic earnings per common share $ 0.93 $ 0.97 $ 0.98 $ 0.97 $ 3.84 * Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.91 $ 0.95 $ 0.96 $ 0.96 $ 3.79 * EPS calculated on a quarterly basis, and, as such, the amounts may not total the calculated full-year EPS.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS (Detail

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS (Detail) Customer in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015EmployeeFacilityCustomer
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of customers - over | Customer	0
United States
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees | Employee	14,170
International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees | Employee	11,302
Workforce Subject to Collective Bargaining Arrangements [Member] | United States
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees | Employee	419
Workforce Subject to Collective Bargaining Arrangements [Member] | International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees | Employee	2,703
Processing Facilities | United States
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of processing facilities	114
Processing Facilities | International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of processing facilities	139
Transfer and Collection Sites | United States
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of sites	218
Transfer and Collection Sites | International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of sites	140
Sales and Administrative Sites | United States
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of sites	21
Sales and Administrative Sites | International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of sites	62
Other Service Facilities | United States
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of service facilities	83
Other Service Facilities | International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of service facilities	54
Landfill | International
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of sites	3

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUN47

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Bad debt expense	$ 13,700	$ 9,900	$ 4,800
Debt obligations, carrying amount	3,214,048	1,659,215
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, current		28,300
Level 2 Inputs
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Debt obligations, fair value	$ 3,220,000	$ 1,670,000
Containers
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, weighted average remaining useful life	12 years 6 months
Customer Concentration Risk | Accounts Receivable
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Customer concentration risk percentage, no more than	1.50%
Customer relationships
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years	19 years 2 months 12 days
Covenants not-to-compete
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years	3 years 8 months 12 days
Tradenames
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years	17 years 2 months 12 days
Other intangibles
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years	19 years 1 month 6 days
Minimum | Building and improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	5 years
Minimum | Machinery and equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	2 years
Minimum | Containers
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	2 years
Minimum | Vehicles
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	2 years
Minimum | Office equipment and furniture
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	2 years
Minimum | Software
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	2 years
Minimum | Customer relationships
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	10 years
Minimum | Covenants not-to-compete
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	5 years
Minimum | Tradenames
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	15 years
Maximum | Building and improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	50 years
Maximum | Machinery and equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	30 years
Maximum | Containers
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	20 years
Maximum | Vehicles
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	10 years
Maximum | Office equipment and furniture
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	20 years
Maximum | Software
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	15 years
Maximum | Customer relationships
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	40 years
Maximum | Covenants not-to-compete
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	14 years
Maximum | Tradenames
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	40 years

ACQUISITIONS - Summary of Acqui

ACQUISITIONS - Summary of Acquisition Location (Detail) - Entity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	43	44	49
United States
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	19	17	13
Argentina
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	0	2	3
Brazil
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2	3	2
Canada
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2	2	3
Chile
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	0	3	1
Ireland
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1	0	0
Japan
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	0	2	3
Mexico
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	3	0	1
Netherlands
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2	0	0
Portugal
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	0	5	2
Romania
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	4	3	6
Republic of Korea
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	6	1	0
Spain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	4	3	3
United Kingdom
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	0	3	12

ACQUISITIONS - Aggregate Purcha

ACQUISITIONS - Aggregate Purchase Price Paid for Acquisitions and Other Adjustments to Consideration (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Cash	$ 2,419,437	$ 374,321	$ 161,936
Promissory notes	64,072	125,229	64,581
Deferred consideration	3,172	3,535	31,149
Contingent consideration	12,945	17,174	4,371
Total purchase price	$ 2,499,626	$ 520,259	$ 262,037

ACQUISITIONS - Purchase Price A

ACQUISITIONS - Purchase Price Allocation (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Oct. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 3,758,177		$ 2,418,832	$ 2,231,582
Acquisitions Year 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed assets	198,145
Intangibles	1,052,016
Goodwill	1,422,673
Accounts receivable	135,800
Net other assets/ (liabilities)	18,133
Environmental remediation liabilities	0
Current liabilities	(91,522)
Debt	(4,966)
Net deferred tax liabilities	(230,653)
Noncontrolling interests	0
Total purchase price allocation	2,499,626
Acquisitions Year 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed assets			98,916
Intangibles			276,798
Goodwill			235,597
Accounts receivable			68,019
Net other assets/ (liabilities)			(11,702)
Environmental remediation liabilities			(32,383)
Current liabilities			(67,334)
Debt			(22,102)
Net deferred tax liabilities			(18,769)
Noncontrolling interests			(6,781)
Total purchase price allocation			$ 520,259
Acquisitions Year 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed assets				15,582
Intangibles				92,398
Goodwill				179,795
Accounts receivable				19,920
Net other assets/ (liabilities)				3,260
Environmental remediation liabilities				0
Current liabilities				(23,200)
Debt				(7,512)
Net deferred tax liabilities				(13,995)
Noncontrolling interests				(4,211)
Total purchase price allocation				$ 262,037
Shred-It
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed assets		$ 174,250
Intangibles		955,000
Goodwill		1,333,046
Accounts receivable		117,541
Net other assets/ (liabilities)		16,738
Current liabilities		(72,178)
Debt		0
Net deferred tax liabilities		(220,505)
Total purchase price allocation		$ 2,303,892
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed assets	23,895
Intangibles	97,016
Goodwill	89,627
Accounts receivable	18,259
Net other assets/ (liabilities)	1,395
Current liabilities	(19,344)
Debt	(4,966)
Net deferred tax liabilities	(10,148)
Total purchase price allocation	$ 195,734

ACQUISITIONS - Pro Forma Inform

ACQUISITIONS - Pro Forma Information (Details) - Acquisitions Year 2015 - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 3,569,490	$ 3,397,646
Net income	$ 307,994	$ 375,339

ACQUISITIONS - Additional Infor

ACQUISITIONS - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands

Oct. 01, 2015USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)

Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)

Mar. 31, 2015USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)

Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)

Mar. 31, 2014USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)Entity

Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)Entity

Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)Entity

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

43

44

49

Tax deductible goodwill amount | $

$ 528,600

$ 528,600

Acquisition related expenses | $

(818)

$ 33,674

$ 2,986

$ 3,296

$ 2,661

$ 3,472

$ 3,979

$ 3,221

$ 39,138

$ 13,333

$ 10,300

Customer relationships | Minimum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

10 years

Customer relationships | Maximum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

40 years

Tradenames | Minimum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

15 years

Tradenames | Maximum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

40 years

Acquisitions Year 2015

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Net increase in goodwill | $

$ 1,420,000

Increase (decrease) in intangible assets | $

1,050,000

Revenue of acquiree since acquisition date | $

258,500

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Operating permits

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Acquired indefinite-lived intangible assets | $

1,400

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Tradenames

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Acquired indefinite-lived intangible assets | $

423,300

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Customer relationships

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Acquired finite-lived intangible assets | $

$ 599,400

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Customer relationships | Minimum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

10 years

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Customer relationships | Maximum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

40 years

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Other intangibles

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Acquired finite-lived intangible assets | $

$ 27,900

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Other intangibles | Minimum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

3 years

Acquisitions Year 2015 | Other intangibles | Maximum

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

20 years

Shred-It

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Aggregate purchase price | $

$ 2,300,000

Revenue of acquiree since acquisition date | $

$ 177,400

Shred-It | Tradenames

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Tradenames | $

$ 421,000

Shred-It | Customer relationships

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Customer relationships | $

$ 534,000

$ 534,000

Brazil

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

2

3

2

Canada

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

2

2

3

Ireland

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

1

0

0

Mexico

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

3

0

1

Netherlands

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

2

0

0

Romania

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

4

3

6

Republic of Korea

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

6

1

0

Spain

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

4

3

3

United States

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

19

Net increase in goodwill | $

$ 1,130,000

United States | Communication services business

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

1

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

United States | Secure information destruction business

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

4

United States | Acquisition One | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

11

United States | Acquisition Two | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

2

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

24

Net increase in goodwill | $

$ 289,100

International | Brazil | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

2

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International | Canada | Communication services business

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

1

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International | Canada | Secure information destruction business

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

1

International | Ireland | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

1

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International | Mexico | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

2

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International | Netherlands | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

1

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International | Romania | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

3

Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired

100.00%

100.00%

International | Republic of Korea | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

6

International | Spain | Regulated and compliance solutions

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Number of acquisitions

4

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Fair

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Fair Value Measurements (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 55,634	$ 22,236
Short-term investments	69	380
Derivative financial instruments	1,207	515
Total assets	56,910	23,131
Liabilities:
Contingent considerations	25,390	19,941
Derivative financial instruments	0	2,408
Total liabilities	25,390	22,349
Level 1 Inputs
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	55,634	22,236
Short-term investments	69	380
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Total assets	55,703	22,616
Liabilities:
Contingent considerations	0	0
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Level 2 Inputs
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Derivative financial instruments	1,207	515
Total assets	1,207	515
Liabilities:
Contingent considerations	0	0
Derivative financial instruments	0	2,408
Total liabilities	0	2,408
Level 3 Inputs
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities:
Contingent considerations	25,390	19,941
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Total liabilities	$ 25,390	$ 19,941

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Chan

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Changes to Contingent Consideration (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability [Roll Forward]
Contingent consideration at January 1, 2015				$ 19,941					$ 19,941
Increases due to acquisitions									12,945	$ 17,174	$ 4,371
Decrease due to payments									(1,853)
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations									(5,003)
Changes in fair value reflected in Selling, general, and administrative expenses	$ 0	$ 0	$ 35	$ (675)	$ (5,405)	$ 0	$ (836)	$ 4,789	(640)	(1,452)
Contingent consideration at December 31, 2015	$ 25,390				$ 19,941				$ 25,390	$ 19,941

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Addi

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative asset		$ 1,207	$ 515
Cash settlement of treasury lock hedge	$ 8,800	8,833	0	$ 0
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, net of tax	5,300	(4,119)	(2,069)	0
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, tax	$ 3,500	2,623	813	$ 0
Contingent consideration liabilities		25,390	19,941
Debt obligations, carrying amount		3,214,048	1,659,215
Maximum
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Maximum contingent liability if financial performance measures were fully met		44,800
Level 2 Inputs
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative asset		1,207	515
Contingent consideration liabilities		0	0
Debt obligations, fair value		3,220,000	1,670,000
Level 3 Inputs
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative asset		0	0
Contingent consideration liabilities		25,390	$ 19,941
Level 3 Inputs | Current Liabilities
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liabilities		$ 9,100

INCOME TAXES - United States an

INCOME TAXES - United States and International Components of Income before Income Taxes (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
United States	$ 378,815	$ 441,029	$ 407,315
Foreign	32,092	46,539	70,431
Income Before Income Taxes	$ 410,907	$ 487,568	$ 477,746

INCOME TAXES - Significant Comp

INCOME TAXES - Significant Components of Income Tax Expense (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current
United States - federal	$ 105,941	$ 118,217	$ 103,751
United States - state and local	15,544	13,023	11,683
Foreign	16,512	14,930	24,486
Current income tax expense	137,997	146,170	139,920
Deferred
United States - federal	23,762	29,730	31,808
United States - state and local	2,504	948	5,510
Foreign	(21,369)	(15,339)	(10,246)
Foreign - changes in statutory rates	0	(2,087)	(2,330)
Deferred income tax expense	4,897	13,252	24,742
Total provision	$ 142,894	$ 159,422	$ 164,662

INCOME TAXES - Reconciliation o

INCOME TAXES - Reconciliation of Income Tax Provision Computed at Federal Statutory Rate to Effective Tax Rate (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal statutory income tax rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State and local taxes, net of federal tax effect	3.10%	1.90%	2.30%
Foreign tax rates	(0.40%)	(0.50%)	(0.80%)
Change in deferred tax assets from an increase in tax basis of foreign assets	(2.20%)	(1.80%)	0.00%
Other	(0.70%)	(1.90%)	(2.00%)
Effective tax rate	34.80%	32.70%	34.50%

INCOME TAXES - Deferred Tax Lia

INCOME TAXES - Deferred Tax Liabilities and Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	$ (44,914)	$ (41,071)
Goodwill and intangibles	(719,789)	(453,854)
Other	(5,747)	0
Total deferred tax liabilities	(770,450)	(494,925)
Deferred tax assets:
Accrued liabilities	69,895	32,664
Stock based compensation	74,794	21,139
Other	0	17,922
Net operating tax loss carry-forwards	37,976	20,017
Less: valuation allowance	(17,585)	(56)
Total deferred tax assets	165,080	91,686
Net deferred tax liabilities	$ (605,370)	$ (403,239)

INCOME TAXES - Summary of Chang

INCOME TAXES - Summary of Changes in Unrecognized Tax Positions (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Change in Unrecognized Tax Positions [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized tax positions, beginning of year		$ 14,910
Gross increases—tax positions in prior periods	$ 7,239	200
Gross decreases—tax positions in prior periods	(793)	(762)
Gross increases—current period tax positions	5,976	3,081
Settlement	(200)	(1,165)
Lapse of statute of limitations	(2,375)	(1,169)
Unrecognized tax positions, end of year	$ 24,942	$ 15,095

INCOME TAXES - Additional Infor

INCOME TAXES - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Gross increases for tax positions in prior periods, recently acquired uncertain tax positions	$ 7,239		$ 200
Cash payments for income taxes		$ 125,100	128,100	$ 102,100
Net operating loss carry-forwards	120,500	120,500
Tax benefit of net operating losses	37,976	37,976	20,017
Valuation allowance for net operating losses	17,585	17,585	56
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries		582,000
Unrecognized tax positions	24,942	24,942	15,095	$ 14,910
Unrecognized tax positions that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate	19,600	19,600
Interest and penalties recognized related to income tax reserves		$ 700	$ 300
Indemnification Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Gross increases for tax positions in prior periods, recently acquired uncertain tax positions	$ 5,300

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Expe

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Expense Resulting from Stock Option Awards and ESPP (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 21,750	$ 17,773	$ 17,457
Stock Options | Cost of revenues
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	92	52	120
Stock Options | Selling, general and administrative expenses
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	18,541	15,214	15,212
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Selling, general and administrative expenses
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	1,484	1,267	1,116
ESPP shares | Selling, general and administrative expenses
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 1,633	$ 1,240	$ 1,009

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Tax

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Tax Benefits Related to Stock Compensation (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Tax benefit recognized in Statements of Income	$ 5,567	$ 4,849	$ 4,518
Excess tax benefit realized	$ 16,897	$ 17,906	$ 17,153

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Stoc

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Stock Option Activity (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015$ / sharesshares
Number of Options
Outstanding at beginning of year | shares	5,377,857
Granted | shares	1,056,490
Exercised | shares	(906,104)
Forfeited | shares	(188,927)
Canceled or expired | shares	(4,513)
Outstanding at December 31, 2015 | shares	5,334,803
Exercisable at December 31, 2015 | shares	2,747,266
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2015 | shares	5,135,286
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share
Outstanding at beginning of year | $ / shares	$ 80.88
Granted | $ / shares	130.56
Exercised | $ / shares	66.93
Forfeited | $ / shares	111.07
Canceled or expired | $ / shares	84.52
Outstanding at December 31, 2015 | $ / shares	92.02
Exercisable at December 31, 2015 | $ / shares	73.22
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2015 | $ / shares	$ 91

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Intr

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Total exercise intrinsic value of options exercised	$ 62,625	$ 65,884	$ 55,757

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Outs

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Outstanding and Exercisable Options (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Weighted average remaining contractual life of outstanding options	5 years 8 months 12 days	6 years 1 month 6 days	6 years 7 months 6 days
Total aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding options	$ 162,400	$ 269,900	$ 254,200
Weighted average remaining contractual life of exercisable options	4 years 8 months 12 days	5 years 1 month 6 days	5 years 3 months 18 days
Total aggregate intrinsic value of exercisable options	$ 130,600	$ 178,300	$ 161,100

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Opti

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Options Outstanding and Exercisable by Price Range (Details) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	5,334,803	5,377,857
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	5 years 8 months 12 days	6 years 1 month 6 days	6 years 7 months 6 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 92.02	$ 80.88
Options Exercisable, Shares	2,747,266
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 73.22
$29.54 - $51.55 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	912,043
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	3 years 1 month 24 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 47.61
Options Exercisable, Shares	912,043
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 47.61
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	29.54
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 51.55
$52.05 - $85.00 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	956,708
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	4 years 2 months 19 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 72.90
Options Exercisable, Shares	817,286
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 70.84
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	52.05
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 85
$85.02 - $85.76 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	10,650
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	6 years 3 months
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 85.40
Options Exercisable, Shares	5,750
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 85.37
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	85.02
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 85.76
$86.24 - $86.24 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	604,758
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	6 years 1 month 2 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 86.24
Options Exercisable, Shares	302,334
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 86.24
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	86.24
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 86.24
$86.83 - $95.03 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	142,097
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	6 years 7 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 89.83
Options Exercisable, Shares	110,895
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 89.11
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	86.83
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 95.03
$95.87 - $95.87 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	781,470
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	7 years 1 month 13 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 95.87
Options Exercisable, Shares	299,599
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 95.87
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	95.87
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 95.87
$95.92 - $115.51 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	162,252
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	7 years 3 months
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 110.41
Options Exercisable, Shares	102,739
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 109.94
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	95.92
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 115.51
$115.69 - $115.69 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	732,411
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	6 years 1 month 21 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 115.69
Options Exercisable, Shares	147,361
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 115.69
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	115.69
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 115.69
$115.82 - $130.11 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	128,583
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	7 years 8 months 5 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 122.59
Options Exercisable, Shares	15,954
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 117.80
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	115.82
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 130.11
$130.19 - $141.56 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	903,831
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	7 years 3 months 29 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 131.20
Options Exercisable, Shares	33,305
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 133.49
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	130.19
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 141.56
$29.54 - $141.56 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding, Shares	5,334,803
Options Outstanding, Outstanding Average Remaining Life	5 years 8 months 12 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 92.02
Options Exercisable, Shares	2,747,266
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 73.22
Range of Exercise Price, Lower Range Limit	29.54
Range of Exercise Price, Upper Range Limit	$ 141.56

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Assu

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Assumptions used in Black-Scholes Model (Detail) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock options granted (shares)	1,056,490	981,583	1,057,630
Weighted average fair value at grant date	$ 22.90	$ 21.31	$ 22.02
Expected term	4 years 9 months 15 days	4 years 9 months 4 days	5 years 9 months 22 days
Expected volatility	16.71%	17.23%	27.03%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Risk free interest rate	1.47%	1.53%	1.00%

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Rest

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Restricted Stock Units Activity (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Total aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding units	$ 8,441	$ 8,337	$ 8,185
Per share fair value of units granted (in dollars per share)	$ 114.27	$ 115.67	$ 96.40
Number of Units
Non-vested at beginning of year	63,600
Granted	12,124
Forfeited	(4,273)
Non-vested at December 31, 2015	71,451	63,600
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Non-vested at beginning of year	$ 96.04
Granted	114.27	$ 115.67	$ 96.40
Forfeited	101.20
Non-vested at December 31, 2015	$ 101.29	$ 96.04

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Addi

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)shares	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)shares	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares reserved for future issuance	8,637,762
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized	900,000
Percentage of discount to market price	85.00%
Term of offering period	6 months
Maximum payroll deductions during the offering period, per employee | $	$ 5,000
Shares available for issuance (in shares)	191,464
Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expenses related to non-vested option awards | $	$ 46,300,000
Weighted average period of recognition for unrecognized compensation expenses	2 years 10 months 10 days
Stock Options | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Maximum term of an option granted under any plan	8 years
Stock Options | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Maximum term of an option granted under any plan	10 years
Stock Options | Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	1 year
Stock Options | Officers And Employees
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	5 years
ESPP shares | Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	68,039	60,189	52,956
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average period of recognition for unrecognized compensation expenses	2 years 2 months 12 days
Ratio of share reserve related to RSUs granted	2
Unrecognized compensation expenses related to RSUs | $	$ 3,800,000
Fair value of units vested (in shares) | $		$ 2,000,000	$ 1,200,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	3 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	5 years

PREFERRED STOCK (Detail)

PREFERRED STOCK (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Sep. 15, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized		1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued		770,000
Net proceeds from stock issuance		$ 746,900	$ 0	$ 0
Depositary shares liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 100
Series A Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized		1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued		770,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding		770,000
Depositary shares issued	7,700,000
Preferred stock, dividend rate	5.25%
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Share price (in dollars per share)	$ 100
Gross proceeds from stock issuance	$ 770,000
Net proceeds from stock issuance	$ 746,900
Preferred stock liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 1,000
Minimum | Series A Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares issued upon conversion (in shares)	5.8716
Maximum | Series A Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares issued upon conversion (in shares)	7.3394

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE - Com

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE - Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Numerator:
Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$ 78,876	$ 52,263	$ 60,449	$ 75,458	$ 82,526	$ 82,845	$ 81,936	$ 79,149	$ 267,046	$ 326,456	$ 311,372
Less: mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend	10,106	0	0	0					10,106	0	0
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders	$ 68,770	$ 52,263	$ 60,449	$ 75,458					$ 256,940	$ 326,456	$ 311,372
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share-weighted average shares									84,944,841	84,932,792	85,902,550
Effect of diluted securities:
Employee stock options									1,217,768	1,300,820	1,489,438
Mandatory convertible preferred stock									0	0	0
Denominator for diluted earnings per share-adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises									86,162,609	86,233,612	87,391,988
Earnings per share – Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.81	$ 0.62	$ 0.71	$ 0.89	$ 0.97	$ 0.98	$ 0.97	$ 0.93	$ 3.02	$ 3.84	$ 3.62
Earnings per share – Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.80	$ 0.60	$ 0.70	$ 0.87	$ 0.96	$ 0.96	$ 0.95	$ 0.91	$ 2.98	$ 3.79	$ 3.56

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE - Ad

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE - Additional Information (Details) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Series A Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Shares excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	1,648,318
Stock Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Shares excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	818,093	830,755	846,808
Shares excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share, exercise price, lower range limit (in dollars per share)	$ 117.09	$ 105.12	$ 94.76
Shares excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share, exercise price, upper range limit (in dollars per share)	$ 141.56	$ 132.95	$ 119.19

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI74

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - Components of Total Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) loss, beginning balance	$ (138,419)	$ (56,468)	$ (39,064)
Period change	(144,212)	(81,951)	(17,404)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), ending balance	(282,631)	(138,419)	(56,468)
Currency Translation Adjustments
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) loss, beginning balance	(135,231)	(55,010)	(37,292)
Period change	(140,809)	(80,221)	(17,718)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), ending balance	(276,040)	(135,231)	(55,010)
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) loss, beginning balance	(3,188)	(1,458)	(1,772)
Period change	(3,403)	(1,730)	314
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), ending balance	$ (6,591)	$ (3,188)	$ (1,458)

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI75

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Equity [Abstract]
Tax impact of unrealized loss on cash flow hedges in accumulated other comprehensive income	$ 2.2	$ 0.6	$ 0.2

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT76

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	$ 1,091,621	$ 824,532
Less: accumulated depreciation	(426,019)	(364,124)
Property, plant and equipment, net	665,602	460,408	$ 358,967
Land and improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	65,621	63,600
Building and improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	166,874	142,680
Machinery and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	314,252	250,684
Vehicles
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	136,379	56,650
Containers
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	190,454	155,238
Office equipment and furniture
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	117,632	80,158
Software
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	46,979	40,291
Construction in progress
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property, plant & equipment	$ 53,430	$ 35,231

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE77

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 2,418,832	$ 2,231,582
Goodwill acquired during year	1,450,950	258,017
Purchase accounting allocation adjustments	(28,277)	(22,420)
Goodwill other changes	(440)
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	(82,888)	(48,347)
Ending Balance	3,758,177	2,418,832
United States
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	1,838,739	1,673,810
Goodwill acquired during year	1,177,431	169,754
Purchase accounting allocation adjustments	(43,895)	(4,825)
Goodwill other changes	0
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	0	0
Ending Balance	2,972,275	1,838,739
International
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	580,093	557,772
Goodwill acquired during year	273,519	88,263
Purchase accounting allocation adjustments	15,618	(17,595)
Goodwill other changes	(440)
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	(82,888)	(48,347)
Ending Balance	$ 785,902	$ 580,093

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE78

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Values of Intangible Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 1,993,586	$ 1,024,567
Accumulated Amortization	151,025	114,922
Net Value	1,842,561	909,645	$ 720,035
Amortizable intangibles | Customer relationships
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	1,304,388	755,148
Accumulated Amortization	144,020	107,365
Net Value	1,160,368	647,783
Amortizable intangibles | Covenants not-to-compete
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	6,878	8,474
Accumulated Amortization	5,141	5,688
Net Value	1,737	2,786
Amortizable intangibles | Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	3,819	6,062
Accumulated Amortization	948	1,313
Net Value	2,871	4,749
Amortizable intangibles | Other intangibles
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	18,902	1,150
Accumulated Amortization	916	556
Net Value	17,986	594
Indefinite lived intangibles | Operating permits
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	233,101	247,933
Net Value	233,101	247,933
Indefinite lived intangibles | Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	426,498	5,800
Net Value	$ 426,498	$ 5,800

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE79

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Changes in Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 909,645	$ 720,035
Intangible assets acquired during the year	1,052,016	277,041
Impairments during the year	(4,177)	(9,863)
Amortization during the year	(45,498)	(32,692)	$ (27,067)
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	(69,425)	(44,876)
Ending balance	$ 1,842,561	$ 909,645	$ 720,035

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE80

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Estimated Amortization Expense (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2,016	$ 72,174
2,017	71,507
2,018	71,459
2,019	71,302
2,020	$ 71,012

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE81

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)Segment	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)Segment	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Number of geographical reportable segments | Segment		2
Number of reporting units | Segment	3
Goodwill		$ 3,758,177	$ 2,418,832	$ 2,231,582
Assets impairment charges		4,200	9,900
Aggregate amortization expense		45,498	32,692	27,067
Customer relationships
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Assets impairment charges		$ 200
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years		19 years 2 months 12 days
Customer relationships | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life		10 years
Customer relationships | Maximum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life		40 years
Covenants not-to-compete
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years		3 years 8 months 12 days
Covenants not-to-compete | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life		5 years
Covenants not-to-compete | Maximum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life		14 years
Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Assets impairment charges		$ 1,300
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years		17 years 2 months 12 days
Tradenames | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life		15 years
Tradenames | Maximum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life		40 years
Other intangibles
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life in years		19 years 1 month 6 days
Domestic Regulated and Compliance Services | Income Approach Goodwill Impairment Test
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Percentage of fair value in excess of carrying amount	100.00%
Domestic Regulated Recall and Returns Management Services | Income Approach Goodwill Impairment Test
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Percentage of fair value in excess of carrying amount	100.00%
International Regulated and Compliance Services
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 589,300
International Regulated and Compliance Services | Income Approach Goodwill Impairment Test
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Percentage of fair value in excess of carrying amount	88.00%
Operating permits
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Assets impairment charges		$ 2,700
International
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Goodwill		785,902	$ 580,093	$ 557,772
International | Puerto Rico | Goodwill
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Reclassification of goodwill		$ 4,300

ACCRUED LIABILITIES (Detail)

ACCRUED LIABILITIES (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued compensation	$ 62,721	$ 37,932
Accrued insurance	43,390	40,387
Accrued taxes	27,363	17,847
Accrued interest	13,829	9,096
Accrued professional services liabilities	6,948	3,703
Accrued liabilities - other	43,078	22,778
Total accrued liabilities	$ 197,329	$ 131,743

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIA83

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIABILITIES (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
Environmental remediation liabilities	$ 30.8
Environmental remediation liabilities, classified as accrued liabilities	2.1
Environmental remediation liabilities, classified as other liabilities	$ 28.7

DEBT - Schedule of Long-Term De

DEBT - Schedule of Long-Term Debt (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 3,214,048,000	$ 1,659,215,000
Less: current portion of total debt	161,409,000	131,969,000
Long-term portion of total debt	3,052,639,000	1,527,246,000
Obligations under capital leases
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	15,024,000	9,185,000
$1.20 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.54%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	353,763,000	459,975,000
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility	$ 1,200,000,000
Stated interest rate	1.54%
$1.25 billion term loan weighted average rate 1.71%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 1,250,000,000	0
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility	$ 1,250,000,000
Stated interest rate	1.71%
$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 0	100,000,000
$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	175,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 175,000,000	175,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.89%
$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 125,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 125,000,000	125,000,000
Stated interest rate	2.68%
$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 225,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 225,000,000	225,000,000
Stated interest rate	4.47%
$150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 150,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 150,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	2.89%
$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 125,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 125,000,000	125,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.26%
$200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 200,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 200,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	2.72%
$100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 100,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 100,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	2.79%
$150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 150,000,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 150,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	3.18%
Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 2.54% and weighted average maturity of 3.4 years
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 239,731,000	279,590,000
Weighted average interest rate	2.54%
Weighted average maturity	3 years 4 months 24 days
Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 2.1 years
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 105,530,000	$ 160,465,000
Weighted average interest rate	8.98%
Weighted average maturity	2 years 1 month 6 days

DEBT - Payments Due on Long-Ter

DEBT - Payments Due on Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Lease Obligations (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2,016	$ 157,227
2,017	345,342
2,018	215,549
2,019	862,803
2,020	875,159
Thereafter	742,944
Long-term debt	$ 3,199,024

DEBT - Property under Capital L

DEBT - Property under Capital Leases Included with Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Capital Leased Assets [Line Items]
Less: accumulated depreciation	$ (7,148)	$ (5,375)
Capital Leases, Balance Sheet,Property under capital leases, net Assets by Major Class, Net	15,843	10,033
Land
Capital Leased Assets [Line Items]
Property under capital leases, gross	157	174
Building
Capital Leased Assets [Line Items]
Property under capital leases, gross	804	896
Machinery and equipment
Capital Leased Assets [Line Items]
Property under capital leases, gross	6,105	1,230
Vehicles
Capital Leased Assets [Line Items]
Property under capital leases, gross	$ 15,925	$ 13,108

DEBT - Minimum Future Lease Pay

DEBT - Minimum Future Lease Payments under Capital Leases (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2,016	$ 4,622
2,017	5,364
2,018	2,041
2,019	2,226
2,020	1,557
Thereafter	419
Total minimum lease payments	16,229
Less: amounts representing interest	(1,205)
Present value of net minimum lease payments	15,024
Less: current portion included in other current liabilities	(4,182)
Long-term obligations under capital leases	$ 10,842

DEBT - Additional Information (

DEBT - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2015	Aug. 21, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest paid				$ 68,000,000	$ 57,800,000	$ 51,000,000
$1.20 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.54%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility				1,200,000,000
Revolving credit facility, amount committed to outstanding letters of credit				160,400,000	162,900,000
Revolving credit facility, unused portion				685,800,000	$ 577,100,000
$1.25 billion term loan weighted average rate 1.71%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility		$ 1,500,000,000		1,250,000,000
$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount				175,000,000
$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount				125,000,000
$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount				225,000,000
$150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 150,000,000			150,000,000
Debt instrument term	6 years
Stated interest rate	2.89%
$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount				125,000,000
$200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount			$ 200,000,000	200,000,000
Debt instrument term			7 years
Stated interest rate			2.72%
$100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount			$ 100,000,000	100,000,000
Debt instrument term			8 years
Stated interest rate			2.79%
$150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 150,000,000			$ 150,000,000
Debt instrument term	8 years
Stated interest rate	3.18%
Eurodollar [Member] | $1.25 billion term loan weighted average rate 1.71%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate		1.00%

LEASE COMMITMENTS - Minimum Fut

LEASE COMMITMENTS - Minimum Future Rental Payments under Non-Cancelable Operating Leases (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2,016	$ 104,958
2,017	89,284
2,018	71,264
2,019	52,923
2,020	34,078
Thereafter	47,168
Minimum future rental payments under operating leases	$ 399,675

LEASE COMMITMENTS - Additional

LEASE COMMITMENTS - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Rent expense	$ 139	$ 111.5	$ 92.4
Maximum
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Operating lease agreements, expiration (various dates over the next 20 years)	20 years

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEO91

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Summary Information of Reportable Segments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 888,304	$ 718,596	$ 715,689	$ 663,319	$ 676,947	$ 667,877	$ 640,822	$ 569,955	$ 2,985,908	$ 2,555,601	$ 2,142,807
Income before income taxes									410,907	487,568	477,746
Assets	7,077,450				4,373,302				7,077,450	4,373,302	3,887,973
Property, Plant and Equipment, net	665,602				460,408				665,602	460,408	358,967
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									2,165,030	1,788,390	1,498,347
Income before income taxes									382,692	436,958	405,403
Assets	5,173,779				2,916,296				5,173,779	2,916,296	2,557,224
Property, Plant and Equipment, net	434,202				284,788				434,202	284,788	212,518
International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									820,878	767,211	644,460
Income before income taxes									28,215	50,610	72,343
Assets	1,903,671				1,457,006				1,903,671	1,457,006	1,330,749
Property, Plant and Equipment, net	231,400				175,620				231,400	175,620	146,449
International | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									441,231	407,082	341,387
Property, Plant and Equipment, net	95,771				70,621				95,771	70,621	74,915
International | Other International Countries
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									379,647	360,129	303,073
Property, Plant and Equipment, net	$ 135,629				$ 104,999				$ 135,629	$ 104,999	$ 71,534

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEO92

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Detailed Information for Reporting Segment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 888,304	$ 718,596	$ 715,689	$ 663,319	$ 676,947	$ 667,877	$ 640,822	$ 569,955	$ 2,985,908	$ 2,555,601	$ 2,142,807
Income before income taxes									410,907	487,568	477,746
Income taxes									142,894	159,422	164,662
Net Income									268,013	328,146	313,084
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									967	1,690	1,712
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$ 78,876	$ 52,263	$ 60,449	$ 75,458	$ 82,526	$ 82,845	$ 81,936	$ 79,149	267,046	326,456	311,372
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									2,165,030	1,788,390	1,498,347
Net interest expense									51,680	44,850	43,012
Income before income taxes									382,692	436,958	405,403
Income taxes									145,815	161,497	152,753
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.									236,877	275,461	252,650
Depreciation and amortization									78,587	59,389	49,725
Capital expenditures									53,495	56,507	42,760
United States | Regulated and compliance solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									2,062,204	1,707,031	1,400,572
United States | Recall and returns solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									102,826	81,359	97,775
International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									820,878	767,211	644,460
Net interest expense									25,594	21,172	11,937
Income before income taxes									28,215	50,610	72,343
Income taxes									(2,921)	(2,075)	11,909
Net Income									31,136	52,685	60,434
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									967	1,690	1,712
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.									30,169	50,995	58,722
Depreciation and amortization									48,825	45,227	38,683
Capital expenditures									61,266	29,989	30,349
International | Regulated and compliance solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 820,878	$ 767,211	$ 644,460

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEO93

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments	2
Number of geographical reportable segments	2

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Restruc

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Restructuring Charges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Intangible assets impairment	$ 1,781	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 1,781
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses					4,177	$ 9,863
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee severance and related costs					8,559
Other costs					4,457
Fixed assets impairment					3,203
Intangible assets impairment					2,414
Other					445
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses					19,078
United States | Selling, general and administrative expenses
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee severance and related costs					4,284
Other costs					2,963
Fixed assets impairment					3,133
Intangible assets impairment					2,167
Other					0
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses					12,547
International | Selling, general and administrative expenses
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee severance and related costs					4,275
Other costs					1,494
Fixed assets impairment					70
Intangible assets impairment					247
Other					445
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses					$ 6,531

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Restr95

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Restructuring Reserve (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Charges to income	$ 13,016
Payments	(10,360)
Other	14
Accrued liabilities
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Liability balance	0
Liability balance	2,670
Employee severance and related costs
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Charges to income	8,559
Payments	(7,469)
Other	14
Employee severance and related costs | Accrued liabilities
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Liability balance	0
Liability balance	1,104
Other costs
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Charges to income	4,457
Payments	(2,891)
Other	0
Other costs | Accrued liabilities
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Liability balance	0
Liability balance	$ 1,566

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Additio

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Pre-tax restructuring charges	$ 4,177	$ 9,863
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Pre-tax restructuring charges	$ 19,078

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN (Detail)

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Foreign Defined Contribution Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer contributions to 401(k) plan	$ 2,100,000	$ 1,900,000	$ 900,000
Defined Contribution Plan One [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of contribution to 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plan by employer	50.00%
Percentage of contribution to 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plan by each employee	5.00%
Employer 401(k) maximum annual matching contribution to each employee	$ 1,750
Defined Contribution Plan One [Member] | Domestic Defined Contribution Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer contributions to 401(k) plan	$ 4,800,000	$ 3,600,000	$ 3,000,000
Defined Contribution Plan Two [Member] | Employer Match One [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of contribution to 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plan by employer	100.00%
Percentage of contribution to 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plan by each employee	3.00%
Defined Contribution Plan Two [Member] | Employer Match Two [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of contribution to 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plan by employer	50.00%
Percentage of contribution to 401(k) defined contribution retirement savings plan by each employee	2.00%
Defined Contribution Plan Two [Member] | Domestic Defined Contribution Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer contributions to 401(k) plan	$ 900,000

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (Details)

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands

Oct. 08, 2015

May. 21, 2015

Aug. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2015

Sep. 30, 2015

Jun. 30, 2015

Mar. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Loss Contingencies [Line Items]

Litigation expenses

$ (645)

$ (12,056)

$ (44,827)

$ (2,123)

$ (3,331)

$ (1,342)

$ (396)

$ (1,505)

$ (59,651)

$ (6,574)

Settled Litigation | Qui Tam Action, Government Entities

Loss Contingencies [Line Items]

Loss Contingency Accrual, Payments

$ 26,750

Settled Litigation | Qui Tam Action, Relator

Loss Contingencies [Line Items]

Loss Contingency Accrual, Payments

$ 1,750

Settled Litigation | Junk Fax Lawsuit

Loss Contingencies [Line Items]

Loss Contingency Accrual, Payments

$ 15,200

$ 13,000

Litigation Settlement, Amount

$ 45,000

Period During Which Pay Class Members May Submit Valid Claim Form

90 days

Selling, general and administrative expenses | Settled Litigation | Qui Tam Action

Loss Contingencies [Line Items]

Litigation expenses

(28,500)

Selling, general and administrative expenses | Settled Litigation | Junk Fax Lawsuit

Loss Contingencies [Line Items]

Litigation expenses

$ (28,200)

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL 99

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 888,304	$ 718,596	$ 715,689	$ 663,319	$ 676,947	$ 667,877	$ 640,822	$ 569,955	$ 2,985,908	$ 2,555,601	$ 2,142,807
Gross profit	380,355	299,675	304,824	281,331	284,969	278,669	275,304	255,469	1,266,185	1,094,411
Acquisition expenses	818	(33,674)	(2,986)	(3,296)	(2,661)	(3,472)	(3,979)	(3,221)	(39,138)	(13,333)	(10,300)
Integration expenses	(20,432)	(13,447)	(8,924)	(8,886)	(11,343)	(7,461)	(4,679)	(2,485)	(51,689)	(25,968)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	0	0	(35)	675	5,405	0	836	(4,789)	640	1,452
Impairment of intangible assets	(1,781)	0	0	0					(1,781)
Restructuring and plant conversion expenses	(4,667)	(2,721)	(3,058)	(12,302)	(10,495)	(2,380)	(1,115)	(574)	(22,748)	(14,564)
Litigation expenses	(645)	(12,056)	(44,827)	(2,123)	(3,331)	(1,342)	(396)	(1,505)	(59,651)	(6,574)
Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	78,876	52,263	60,449	75,458	$ 82,526	$ 82,845	$ 81,936	$ 79,149	267,046	326,456	311,372
Mandatory convertible preferred stock	(10,106)	0	0	0					(10,106)	0	0
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders	$ 68,770	$ 52,263	$ 60,449	$ 75,458					$ 256,940	$ 326,456	$ 311,372
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.81	$ 0.62	$ 0.71	$ 0.89	$ 0.97	$ 0.98	$ 0.97	$ 0.93	$ 3.02	$ 3.84	$ 3.62
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.80	$ 0.60	$ 0.70	$ 0.87	$ 0.96	$ 0.96	$ 0.95	$ 0.91	$ 2.98	$ 3.79	$ 3.56

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND 100

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance Beginning of Period	$ 19,083	$ 19,134	$ 19,443
Additions/ (Deductions) Charged to/ (from) Expense	13,650	9,869	4,823
Other Charges/(Reversals)/Changes to Reserves	3,054	842	322
Write-offs/ Payments and Other Changes	(13,458)	(10,762)	(5,454)
Balance End of Period	22,329	19,083	19,134
Valuation Allowance on Deferred Tax Assets
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance Beginning of Period	56	1,122	3,340
Additions/ (Deductions) Charged to/ (from) Expense	13	0	(1,451)
Other Charges/(Reversals)/Changes to Reserves	17,516	(1,066)	(767)
Balance End of Period	$ 17,585	$ 56	$ 1,122